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Pipes O’Pan at Zekesbury

by James Whitcomb Riley

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Wet Weather Talk

It ain’t no use to grumble and complain;
  It’s jest as cheap and easy to rejoice:
When God sorts out the weather and sends rain,
    W’y, rain’s my choice.

Men giner’ly, to all intents—
  Although they’re ap’ to grumble some—
Puts most their trust in Providence,
  And takes things as they come;—
    That is, the commonality
    Of men that’s lived as long as me,
    Has watched the world enough to learn
    They’re not the boss of the concern.

With some, of course, it’s different—
  I’ve seed young men that knowed it all,
And didn’t like the way things went
  On this terrestial ball!
    But, all the same, the rain some way
    Rained jest as hard on picnic-day;
    Er when they railly wanted it,
    It maybe wouldn’t rain a bit!

In this existence, dry and wet
  Will overtake the best of men—
Some little skift o’ clouds’ll shet
  The sun off now and then;
    But maybe, while you’re wondern’ who
    You’ve fool-like lent your umbrell’ to,
    And want it—out’ll pop the sun,
    And you’ll be glad you ain’t got none!

It aggervates the farmers, too—
  They’s too much wet, er too much sun,
Er work, er waiting round to do
  Before the plowin’’s done;
    And maybe, like as not, the wheat,
    Jest as it’s lookin’ hard to beat,
    Will ketch the storm—and jest about
    The time the corn ’s a-jintin’ out!

These here cy-clones a-foolin’ round—
  And back’ard crops—and wind and rain,
And yit the corn that’s wallered down
  May elbow up again!
    They ain’t no sense, as I kin see,
    In mortals, sich as you and me,
    A-faultin’ Nature’s wise intents,
    And lockin’ horns with Providence!

It ain’t no use to grumble and complain;
  It’s jest as cheap and easy to rejoice:
When God sorts out the weather and sends rain,
      W’y, rain’s my choice.

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