James Whitcomb Riley has always been a favorite of ours. Several of his poems are written in Indiana country dialect which, at first, was difficult to pronounce. He also has written poetry in beautifully refined language. This is one of our autumn poems, even though northern California does not have much frost.

WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUN'KIN
James Whitcomb Riley


When the frost is on the pun'kin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you har' th' kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then's the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the pun'kin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kind o'harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here-
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colourin' to mock--
When the frost is on the pun'kin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries--kind o' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below--the clover overhead!--
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the pun'kin and the fodder's in the shock.

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmen-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage, too!...
I don't know how to tell it--but if such a thing could be
As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me --
I'd want to 'commodate 'em--all the whole-endurin' flock--
When the frost is on the pun'kin and the fodder's in the shock.