Elizabeth Madox Roberts

From “Talk from the Dust”

DICK and Will and Charles and I

Were playing it was election day;

And I was running for president,

And Dick was a band that was going to play,

And Charles and Will were a street parade.

But Clarence came, and said that he

Was going to run for president,

And I could run for school-trustee.

He made some flags for Charles and Will,

And a badge to go on Dickie’s coat.

He stood some cornstalks by the fence

And had them for the men that vote.

Then he climbed on a box and made a speech

To the cornstalk men that were in a row.

It was all about the Dem-o-crats,

And “I de-fy any man to show”;

And “I de-fy any man to say”,

And all about “It’s a big disgrace”.

He spoke his speech out very loud

And shook his fist in a cornstalk’s face.