Ben King's Verse/Benton Harbor, Mich.

Sometimes I ain't a thing to do, an' so jist for the nonce, I think of things I didn't see out on Midway Plaisance. Although they claimed 'at every tribe an' nation, seems to me, Was represented, yit there's some I simply didn't  see. I went all through the Cairo Street, an' saw the Luxor great, I saw the South Sea Islanders an' them from Congo State, I saw the Patagonians, but, durn it all, my wish Was more to see them funny folks from Benton Harbor, Mich.

I took in all the bildin's that was prom'nent on the grounds, Got in with a C'lumbian guard and we jist went the rounds. I says to him, "I'm here this week to take the hull  thing in; I might not git a chance to go against the thing agin. Outside o' horterculture an' some o' the smaller fruits I want to see them Wolverines at's still a-wearin'   boots. So don' show me no minin' er animals er fish, I'd rather see them curios from                                        Benton Harbor, Mich.

What d' I care for foreign folks 'at come from pagan lands? I've heerd an' read enough of Paig, an' heerd the tom-tom bands. I've seen enough of Egypt, 'n Algiers, 'nd ancient Rome, An' now I'm jist a-spilin' for somepin' right 'round home. Why, gosh all Friday! Take yer Turks an' all yer foreign kit, I want to see them Wolverines, an' I ain't seen 'em  yit; Old Michigan I'm after; seems as if I heerd the swish Of breakers like I used to in                                       Benton Harbor, Mich.

So comin' out from there I says, "We'll take another  route; Course you may know your bizness, but I know what   I'm about. I'm on a hunt fer friends jist now, not Japs er   Javanese, Or sore-eyed Esquimaux, er Coons, er bias-eyed   Chinese. I've heerd enough of 'Hot! hot! hot!' got frightened   at the roar 'Round Hagenbeck's, an' shook hands with the Sultan   of Johore Until I'm simply tired out, an' now my only   wish Is jist to see them old-time folks from                                        Benton Harbor, Mich."

I walked till I got dusty an' thought I'd like to  wash, When lookin' up I saw a tower--'twas Michigan, by gosh! "Come on," I says, "I'll show you now some  folks you never saw, Human bein's from Muskegon, Dowagiac, an' Sagi-   naw; Them folks 'at raises celery 'way out in Kal'mazoo, Cassopolis, an' Globeville, an' Ypsilanti, too-- St. Joe an Berrien Centre." I guess I got my  wish, I jined the jays an' we went back to                                       Benton Harbor, Mich."