When the harsh broom-handle jabs the ceil

'Neath the kitchen-loft, and the drowsy brain

Sniffs the breath of the morning meal—

O then is the time for a brave refrain!

ENVOI

When the skillet seethes, and a blubbering hot

Tilts the lid of the coffee-pot,

And the scent of the buckwheat cake grows plain—

O then is the time for a brave refrain!