When my mother (age 81) was a child she memorized much poetry (which she still can quote). One of the ones she cannot remember fully is, she thinks, called "Wants and Wishes". The poem was in dialect and is about a little girl and her wants and wishes. Some of the verses are as follows:
My Hepsie tored her apron,
A-tumbling down the stairs.
And Caesar lost his pantaloons
And needs another pair.
I wants to go to Grandma's
You promised me I might.
I know she wants to see me,
And I want to go tonight.
If anyone out there can help me, I would appreciate it a great deal. We (my sisters and I) are trying to get together a book of poems and sayings from her childhood to present her with at her 82nd birthday. Mom says there was a "great big book of declamations and recitations" at her school that the students chose their "pieces" from, but I've been unable to locate anything like that.
Thanks for allowing me to intrude. If you can help e-mail Paula Patton - zaftig@camalott.com