Whut you say, dah? huh, uh! chile, You 's enough to dribe me wile. Want a sto'y; jes' hyeah dat! Whah' 'll I git a sto'y at? Di'n' I tell you th'ee las' night? Go 'way, honey, you ain't right....
De win' is blowin' wahmah, An hit's blowin' f'om de bay; Dey's a so't o' mist a-risin' All erlong de meddah way; Dey ain't a hint o' frostin' On de groun' ner in de sky,...
Win' a-blowin' gentle so de san' lay low, San' a little heavy f'om de rain, All de pa'ms a-wavin' an' a-weavin' slow, Sighin' lak a sinnah-soul in pain. Alligator grinnin' by de ol' lagoon,...
Swing yo' lady roun' an' roun', Do de bes' you know; Mek yo' bow an' p'omenade Up an' down de flo'; Mek dat banjo hump huhse'f. Listen at huh talk: Mastah gone to town to-night;...
I think that though the clouds be dark, That though the waves dash o'er the bark, Yet after while the light will come, And in calm waters safe at home The bark will anchor....
Ther' ain't no use in all this strife, An' hurryin', pell-mell, right thro' life. I don't believe in goin' too fast To see what kind o' road you 've passed. It ain't no mortal kind o' good,...
In the east the morning comes, Hear the rollin' of the drums On the hill. But the heart that beat as they beat In the battle's raging day heat Lieth still. Unto him the night has come,...
I's a-gittin' weary of de way dat people do, De folks dat's got dey 'ligion in dey fiah-place an' flue; Dey's allus somep'n comin' so de spit'll have to turn,...
With sombre mien, the Evening gray Comes nagging at the heels of Day, And driven faster and still faster Before the dusky-mantled Master, The light fades from her fearful eyes,...
Wen I git up in de mo'nin' an' de clouds is big an' black, Dey's a kin' o' wa'nin' shivah goes a-scootin' down my back; Den I says to my ol' ooman ez I watches down de lane,...
Seems lak folks is mighty curus In de way dey t'inks an' ac's. Dey jes' spen's dey days a-mixin' Up de t'ings in almanacs. Now, I min' my nex' do' neighbour,-- He's a mighty likely man,...
The world is a snob, and the man who wins Is the chap for its money's worth: And the lust for success causes half of the sins That are cursing this brave old earth....
A hush is over all the teeming lists, And there is pause, a breath-space in the strife; A spirit brave has passed beyond the mists And vapors that obscure the sun of life. And Ethiopia, with bosom torn,...
I stand above the city's rush and din, And gaze far down with calm and undimmed eyes, To where the misty smoke wreath grey and dim Above the myriad roofs and spires rise; ...
I grew a rose once more to please mine eyes. All things to aid it--dew, sun, wind, fair skies-- Were kindly; and to shield it from despoil, I fenced it safely in with grateful toil....
Some folks t'inks hit's right an' p'opah, Soon ez bedtime come erroun', Fu' to scramble to de kiver, Lak dey 'd hyeahed de trumpet soun'. But dese people dey all misses Whut I mos'ly does desiah;...
Done are the toils and the wearisome marches, Done is the summons of bugle and drum. Softly and sweetly the sky over-arches, Shelt'ring a land where Rebellion is dumb....
Grass commence a-comin' Thoo de thawin' groun', Evah bird dat whistles Keepin' noise erroun'; Cain't sleep in de mo'nin', Case befo' it 's light Bluebird an' de robin, Done begun to fight....