3225. AT DOMENYI PARISH

AT DOMENYI PARISH
It wasn't a church, you fool, but a county,
called 'parish' somehow in those parts -
and pronounced, in that tongue, I found
out as well, as 'Domenyi', with a 'y'.
Can't figure out, don't try. It
just goes on in that manner.
-
Along the luxuriant lakefront,
vines and growth and the trees
hung close; drooping over the
rich shore like some green
southern money sent from
Heaven above. We've all
got places like that,
I suppose.
-
Like Ma Rainey's plaint in
Southern Blues - I heard
it from 1923 - 'House catch
on fire, ain't no water 'round,
if your house catch fire and ain't
no water 'round, throw your trunk
out the window, building burn on down.'
-
I guess any precaution is a good precaution.