Russian Sonia

I, born in Weimar         Of a mother who was French         And German father, a most learned professor,         Orphaned at fourteen years,         Became a dancer, known as Russian Sonia,         All up and down the boulevards of Paris,         Mistress betimes of sundry dukes and counts,         And later of poor artists and of poets.         At forty years, passe, I sought New York         And met old Patrick Hummer on the boat,         Red-faced and hale, though turned his sixtieth year,         Returning after having sold a ship-load         Of cattle in the German city, Hamburg.         He brought me to Spoon River and we lived here         For twenty years - they thought that we were married         This oak tree near me is the favorite haunt         Of blue jays chattering, chattering all the day.         And why not? for my very dust is laughing         For thinking of the humorous thing called life.         Barney Hainsfeather         IF the excursion train to Peoria         Had just been wrecked, I might have escaped with my life -         Certainly I should have escaped this place.         But as it was burned as well, they mistook me         For John Allen who was sent to the Hebrew Cemetery         At Chicago,         And John for me, so I lie here.         It was bad enough to run a clothing store in this town,         But to be buried here - ach!