Classic Poem

I'd like to hunt for buffalo an' ride the western slope;
I'd like to be a cowboy an' make circles with a rope;
I'd like to be a trapper an' sit 'round a fire at night
An' hear the wolves an' catamounts a-growling at the light.
But buffalo an' catamounts I guess I'll never see,
Coz Pa says that he hopes to make a lawyer out of me.

I'd like to be an acrobat, performing in the air,
Pretending I was going to fall to give the folks a scare;
I'd like to balance on a pole an' dangle from my teeth
An' frighten all the little boys an' girls who sat beneath.
But Uncle John, he says he hopes for higher things than that,
An' I should have to run away to be an acrobat.

I'd like to be a circus clown an' run around the ring
An' wear a funny suit of clothes, an' laugh at everything;
I'd like to paint my face all white an' have a lot of fun,
But Ma says that she must be proud to say that I'm her son;
She wants to hold her head up high, as high as it can be,
An' she is hoping she can make a preacher out of me.