Right Here at Home

James Whitcomb Riley

  Right here at home, boys, in old Hoosierdom,
  Where strangers allus joke us when they come,
  And brag o' their old States and interprize--
  Yit settle here; and 'fore they realize,
  They're "hoosier" as the rest of us, and live
  Right here at home, boys, with their past fergive!

  Right here at home, boys, is the place, I guess,
  Fer me and you and plain old happiness:
  We hear the World's lots grander--likely so,--
  We'll take the World's word fer it and not go.--
  We know its ways aint our ways--so we'll stay
  Right here at home, boys, where we know the way.

  Right here at home, boys, where a well-to-do
  Man's plenty rich enough--and knows it, too,
  And's got a' extry dollar, any time,
  To boost a feller up 'at wants to climb
  And 's got the git-up in him to go in
  And git there, like he purt'-nigh allus kin!

  Right here at home, boys, is the place fer us!--
  Where folks' heart's bigger 'n their money-pu's';
  And where a common feller's jes as good
  As ary other in the neighborhood:
  The World at large don't worry you and me
  Right here at home, boys, where we ort to be!

  Right here at home, boys--jes right where we air!--
  Birds don't sing any sweeter anywhere:
  Grass don't grow any greener'n she grows
  Acrost the pastur' where the old path goes,--
  All things in ear-shot's purty, er in sight,
  Right here at home, boys, ef we size 'em right.

  Right here at home, boys, where the old home-place
  Is sacerd to us as our mother's face,
  Jes as we rickollect her, last she smiled
  And kissed us--dyin' so and rickonciled,
  Seein' us all at home here--none astray--
  Right here at home, boys, where she sleeps to-day.

People from Indiana are known as "Hoosiers" and James Whitcomb Riley is known as "The Hoosier Poet". The actual meaning (apart from "person from Indiana") and origin of the word "Hoosier" is unclear. Various theories include derivation from a shouted greeting  - 'Who's here?'  - to Hussars or to a certain river contractor, a Mr Hoosier...


Main Location:

Indiana, USA