Letter From America: Tuppentahn In’t fer Suppin’
Ronnie Bray's poem tells a cautionary tale in the language of his boyhood, Broad Yorkshire.
Not big on words, "Me ‘oss is sick," said Bill.
Sed Ben "An’ mahn wor too. I’fakk shi wor reyt ill!"
"Wot did’ta gi’ ‘er," Bill asked Maistah Clark.
"Ah gie’d ‘er tuppentahn," wor Ben’s remahk.
"Is she still sick an’ lahk ter dee," Bill sez ter Ben,
And Ben sed back, "She I’n’t, Shi’z ower’t aguee, I ken."
Bill sed ter Ben, "Tuppentahn, tha sed, owd lad,"
An’ bill Ter Ben, "That’s raht, begow, an’ she wor bad!"
"A’ll trah that stuff on mah owd nag," sed Bill, and went at speead
An did, an’ twoday ahter fund ‘is nag quaaht stiff an’ deead,
An’ went ter Ben to tell ‘im wot akkurd. "Mi ‘oss deed an’ fell dahn!"
"Aye, lad," sed Ben to Bill reet kahnd, an’ eftah’t tuppentahn, so did mahn!"
Copyright © 2010 – Ronnie Bray
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http://yorkshiretales.com/journalsnormagoodwin/
