THE JOY RIDE

by C.J.Dennis

 

Ah, Gawd! It makes me sick to think

Of what I ‘eard an’ seen:

Poor ‘Arry like a wet rag flung

Across the wrecked machine;

An’ Rose, ‘er face all chiner-white.

Against the gory green.

 

Now ‘Arry Cox ‘e drives a car

For Doctor Percy Grey.

Sez ‘e to me: “On Sund’y nex

The Doc will be away

Ow is it for a little trip

To Fernville for the Day?

 

“I know two bonzer girls,” ‘e sez;

“Fair stunners, both, they are.

There’s Rose who serves behind the joint

In Mudge’s privit bar,

An’ Lena Crump who jerks the pump

Down at the Southern Star.”

 

Now, who’d refuse a Sund’y trip

With girls an’ all give in?

The car was there an’ oil to spare.

To rat would be a sin!.

An’ who’d refuse a drop o’ booze

When pals is flush o’ tin?

 

Wot all the courts and papers say

Can’t add to my distress

Rose, with the blood upon ‘er face

An’ on ‘er crumpled dress!

An’ that poor chump who got the bump----

Ah, Gawd!  ‘E was a mess!

 

The girls ‘ad stout at ten mile out,

An’ we was drinkin’ beer.

I swear they lies like ‘ell who sez

That we was on our ear!

For we was both, I take me oath,

As sober as me here.

 

Now, Lena was a dashin’ piece,

Igh-spirited an’ flash

‘Twas plain enough to me that day

That ‘Arry’d done ‘is dash

An’ Rose ---(Ah! How ‘er eyes did stare)

Rose was my special mash.

 

It’s easy now for folks to talk

Who might ‘ave done the same

We meant no ‘arm to anyone,

An’ ‘Arry knew ‘is game

‘Twas like a flash, the skid---the crash,

An’ we was not to blame.

 

I wisht I could shut out that sight;

Fergit that awful row!

Poor Rose!  Er face all chiner-white

Like I can see it now;

An’ ‘Arry like a heap o’ clothes

Just chucked there any’ow.

 

They sez we painted Fernville red:

They sez that we was gay:

But wot come after dulls me mind

To wot them liars say.

We never dreamed of death an’ ‘ell

When we set out that day.

 

‘Twas ev’nin’ when we turned for ‘ome;

The moon shone full that night;

An’ for a mile or more ahead

The road lay gleamin’ white;

An’ Rose sat close a-side o’ me

er face turned to the light.

 

Wot if we sung a song or two?

Wot if they ‘eard us shout?

Is song an’ laughter things to curse

An’ make a fuss about?

“Go faster! Faster!” Lena screams.

An’ ‘Arry let ‘er out.

 

I’d give me soul jist to ferget.

Gawd! ‘ower eyes did stare!

Er kisses warm upon me lips,

I seen ‘er lyin’ there,

Blood on ‘er face, all chiner-white,

An’ on ‘er yeller ‘air.

 

I never took no ‘eed o’ pace

(I’ve been on twenty trips),

An’ Rose was restin’ in me arms,

Er cheek against my lips.

A precious lot I dreamed of skids,

A lot I thought o’ slips.

 

I only know we never thinks---

I know we never dreams

Of folks out walkin’ on that road:

Till, sudden, Lena screams. . . .

An’ after that, the sights I saw

I’ve seen again in dreams.

 

We never seen the bloke ahead!

Ow can they call us rash?

I just seen ‘Arry move to shove

‘Is arm around ‘is mash:

I seen ‘er jump to grab the wheel,

Then, Lord! . . . . there came the smash!

 

Aw, they can blame an’ cry their shame!

It ain’t for that I care.

I ‘elder in my arms an’ laughed . . . .

Then seen ‘er lyin’ there,

The moonlight streamin’ on ‘er face,

An’ on ‘er yeller hair.




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