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DA FINE ITALIAN HAND, by                    
First Line: Joe gessapalena can't write hees own name
Last Line: Weell read w'at he's wrote an' be glad dat he came.
Alternate Author Name(s): Daly, T. A.
Subject(s): Names


JOE GESSAPALENA can't write hees own name,
But he can write othra theengs, justa da same;
An' mebbe you, too,
Bayfore he ees through,
Weell read w'at he's wrote an' be glad dat he came.

You see, eet ees verra good theeng for dees Joe
He com' to dees countra so long time ago,
Bayfore dey baygeen dese new eemigrant laws
Dat mak' you know readin' an' writin', baycause
Da 'Merican story he's makin' to-day
Ees justa wrote down een a deefferent way.
Eh? Pleassa, my frand, I'll esplain, eef you wait!
You evva been up een Conne'tica State
An' see dose ole farms dat's so full weetha stone

Dat mos' evra farmer ees leavin' alone,
Baycause dey ain't fit for nobody to own?
Wal, Joe he ees buy wan o' dem lasta year
An' now he ees doin' som' writin' up dere;
An' even hees firsta year's work was so good
He sure ees da talk for da whole neighborhood!
You no ondrastand? O! my frand, you are slow!
Wal, he weell esplain eet. So speaka dees Joe:
"I write weeth no pen, but I taka my hoe
An' I use eet so wal weeth my stronga right han'
Dat I write, een Italian, all over dees lan'
All da treecks I have learned, all da theengs dat I know
Dat weell charma da plants an' jus' maka dem grow!
But -- O! here now ees com' da mos' wondraful theeng! --
Dough I write on my fields een Italian een spreeng,
You can read, een da summer, all over my lan'
Soocha message da harvest speaks, plain 'Merican,
Even dose dat mak' laws mebbe might ondrastan'!"

Joe Gessapalena can't write hees own name,
But he can write othra theengs, justa da same;
An' mebbe you, too,
Bayfore he ees through,
Weell read w'at he's wrote an' be glad dat he came.





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