Bennie's Departure
An' I worked wid heavy heart;
All my limbs were weak an' weary,
When I knew that we would part;
An' I thought of our first meeting
On dat pleasant day o' June,
Of his kind an' modest greeting
When we met dat afternoon;
Of de caprice o' de weader,
How de harsh rain fell dat day,
How we kissed de book togeder,
An' our hearts were light an' gay ;
How we started homewards drivin',
Last civilian drive in train ;
How we half-feared de arrivin',
Knowin' we were not free again ;
How we feared do'n to de layin'
By of our loved old-time dress,
An' to each udder kept sayin'
All might be unhappiness ;
How our lives be'n full o' gladness,
Drillin' wid hearts light an' free ;
How for days all would be sadness
When we quarrelled foolishly.
An' de sad, glad recollection
Brought a strange thrill to my soul,
'Memberin' how his affection
Gave joy in a barren wul' :
As I thought then, my mind goin'
Back to mem'ries, oh! so dear,
As I felt de burden growin',
Jes' so shall I write it here.
We were once more on de drill-ground,
Me so happy by his side,
One in passion, one in will, bound
By a boundless love an' wide :
Daily you would see us drinkin'
Our tea by de mess-room door,
Every passin' moment linkin'
Us togeder more an' more.
After little lazy leanin',
Sittin' on de window-sill,
Me would start our carbine-cleanin'
For de eight o'clock big drill :
To' me he be'n always ready,
An' as smart as smart could be;
He was always quick, yet steady,
Not of wav'rin' min' like me.
When de time was awful dull in
De ole borin' Depot-school,
An' me face was changed an' sullen,
An' I kicked against de rule,
He would speak to me so sweetly,
Tellin' me to bear my fate,
An' his lovin' words completely
Helped me to forget de hate.
An' my heart would start a-pinin'
Ef, when one o'clock came roun',
He was not beside me dinin',
But be'n at some duty boun' :
Not a t'ing could sweet me eatin',
Wid my Bennie 'way from me ;
Strangely would my heart be beatin'
Tell I knew dat he was free.
When at last he came to table,
Neider one could ever bate
Tell in some way we were able
To eke out each udder plate:
All me t'oughts were of my frennie
Then an' in de after days ;
Ne'er can I forget my Bennie
Wid him nice an' pleasant ways.
In de evenin' we went walkin',
An' de sweet sound of his voice,
As we laughed or kept a-talkin',
Made my lovin' heart rejoice:
Full of happiness we strolled on,
In de closin' evenin' light,
Where de stately Cobre rolled on
Gurglin', murm'rin' in de night;
Where de rushin' canal waters
Splashed t'rough fields of manchinic,
Wid deir younger tender daughters
Grow'n' togeder, lush an' t'ick,
Bound' de mudder tall an' slimber
Wid her scalloped leaves o' blue,
In de evenin' light a-limber,
Or a-tossin' to an' fro.
Back to barracks slowly strollin', [FOOTNOTE: we slowly strolled]
Leavin' de enticin' soun'
0' de Cobre proudly rollin'
T'rough de old deserted town ;
Pas' de level well-kept meadows
0' de spacious prison-land,
Where de twilight's fallin' shadows
Scattered at de moon's command.
So we passed 'long, half unwillin',
T'rough de yawnin' barrack-gate,
Our poo' hearts wid disdain nllin'
0' de life we'd larnt to hate ;
Visions of a turgid ocean
Of our comrades' noise an' woes,
An' a ne’er-ceasin' commotion
Sorrowfully 'fo' us rose.
We mixed in de tumult, waitin'
Fe de moment o' release,
De disorder never 'batin',
Never 'batin' in de leas' ;
Wid de anger in us growin',
We grew vexed from black to blue,
All de hot blood t'rough us flowin',
As we hungered for tattoo.