Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). The New Poetry: An Anthology. 1917.
Little Caribou Makes Big TalkLew Sarett
B
Me, Ah’-dek-koons, I mak’-um big talk. Ho!
Me, ol’ man; I’m got-um sick in knee
In rainy wedder w’en I’m walk. Ugh!
Me, lak moose w’at’s ol’,
I’m drop-um plenty toot’!
Yet I am big man! Ho!
An’ I am talk big! Ho!
Ho!
Ho!
Lak O’-mah-ka-kee dose Bullfrog;
Big mout’, big belly,
No can fight!
You stop council-talk,
You go ’way council;
Sit wit’ squaw.
You lak pollywog tad-pole:
No can jump-um over little piece mud;
Can only shake-um tail lak crazy-dam-fool!
He got-um plenty t’oughts in head, good t’oughts;
Me, Little Caribou,
I’m got-um plenty t’oughts in head, good t’oughts.
Yet Eenshun Agent Myers all-tam’ saying:
“Ah’-dek-koons he crazy ol’ fool!”
Ugh! He crazy ol’ fool!
“All de Cheebway should be farmer;
All will get from gov’ment fine allotment—
One hondred-sixty acre each.” Ho!
Ho! Eenshun scratch-um treaty!
Stick-um t’umb on treaty!
Eenshun got-um hondred-sixty acre,
But got-um too much little pieces;
Pieces scattered over lake
Lak leaves she’s blow by wind.
In tamarack swamp by Moose-tail Bay
He got-um forty acre piece.
In muskeg and in rice-field,
On Lake of Cut-foot Sioux, ten mile away,
He got-um forty acre more.
In sand an’ pickerel weed,
On Bowstring Lake, she’s forty mile away,
He got-um forty acre more.
Hondred mile away, on Lac La Croix,
W’ere lumber-man is mak’ big dam
For drive-um log—an’ back-um up water
All over Eenshun allotment land—
He got-um forty acre more, all under lake!
How can be?
Got-um land all over lake!
Got-um land all under lake!
For Eenshun be good farmer
Eenshun should be good for walking under water!
Should be plough hees land wit’ clam-drag!
Should be gadder crops with’ fish-net!
For Eenshun be good farmer
Eenshun should be fish!
Ho!
Hi! Plenty-big talk!
Ho! Ho! Ho!