Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/"Ah-Goo!"


 * Vot vas id mine baby vas trying to say,
 * Vhen I goes to hees crib at der preak off der day ?
 * Und oudt vrom der planket peeps ten leedle toes,
 * So pink und so shveet as der fresh plootning rose,
 * Und twisting und curling dhemselves all aboudt,
 * Shust like dhey vas saying,"Ve vant to get oudt!"
 * Vhile dot baby looks oup mit dhose bright eyes so plue,
 * Und don'd could say nodings, shust only,
 * "Ah-goo!"


 * Vot vas id mine baby vas dinking aboudt,
 * Vhen dot thumb goes so qvick in hees shveet leedle mout',
 * Und he looks righdt avay, like he no undershtandt
 * Der reason he don'd could qvite shvallow hees handt;
 * Und he digs rait dhose fingers righdt into hees eyes,
 * Vhich fills hees oldt fader mit fear und surbrise;
 * Und vhen mit dhose shimnasdic dricks he vas droo,
 * He lay back uud crow, und say nix budt
 * "Ah-goo!"


 * Vot makes dot shmall baby shmile vhen he's ashleep;
 * Does he dink he vas blaying mit some von "bo- peep?"
 * Der nurse say dhose shmiles vas der sign he haf colic—
 * More like dot he dhreams he vas hafing some frolic;
 * I feeds dot oldt nurse mit creen abbles some day,:
 * Und dhen eef she shmiles, I pelief vot she say;
 * Vhen dot baby got cramps he find someding to do
 * Oxcept shmile, und blay, und keep oup hees
 * "Ah-goo!"


 * I ask me, somedimes, vhen I looks in dot crib,:
 * "Vill der shirdt-frondt, von day, dake der blace off dot bib?
 * Vill dot plue-eyed baby dot's pooling mine hair
 * Know all vot I knows aboudt drouble und care?"
 * Dhen I dink off der vorldt, mit its bride und its sins,
 * Und I vish dot mineself und dot baby vas tvins,
 * Und all der day long I haf nodings to do
 * Budt shust laugh und crow, und keep saying,
 * "Ah-goo!"