Dey was talkin’ in de cabin, dey was talkin’ in de hall;But I listened kin’ o’ keerless, not a-t’inkin’ ’bout it all;An’ on Sunday, too, I noticed, dey was whisp’rin’ mighty much,Stan’in’ all erroun’ de roadside w’en dey let us out o’ chu’ch.But I did n’t t’ink erbout it ‘twell de middle of de week,An’ […]

Ah me, it is cold and chillAnd the fire sobs low in the grate,While the wind rides by on the hill,And the logs crack sharp with hate. And she, she is cold and sadAs ever the sinful are,But deep in my heart I am gladFor my wound and the coming scar. Oh, ever the wind […]

Slow de night ‘s a-fallin’,An’ I hyeah de callin,Out erpon de lonesome hill;Soun’ is moughty dreary,Solemn-lak an’ skeery,Sayin’ fu’ to “whip po’ Will.” Now hit ‘s moughty tryin’,Fu’ to hyeah dis cryin’,‘Deed hit ‘s mo’ den I kin stan’;Sho’ wid all our slippin’,Dey ‘s enough of whippin’‘Dout a bird a’visin’ any man. In de noons […]

‘Lias! ‘Lias! Bless de Lawd!Don’ you know de day’s erbroad?Ef you don’ git up, you scamp,Dey ‘ll be trouble in dis camp.T’ink I gwine to let you sleepW’ile I meks yo’ boa’d an’ keep?Dat’s a putty howdy-do–Don’ you hyeah me, ‘Lias–you? Bet ef I come crost dis flo’You won’ fin’ no time to sno’.Daylight all […]

W’en de evenin’ shaddersCome a-glidin’ down,Fallin’ black an’ heavyOvah hill an’ town,Ef you listen keerful,Keerful ez you kin,So ‘s you boun’ to noticeDes a drappin’ pin;Den you ‘ll hyeah a funnySoun’ ercross de lan’;Lay low; dat’s de callin’Of de Boogah Man! Woo-oo woo-oo!Hyeah him ez he go erlong de way;Woo-oo, woo-oo!Don’ you wish de night […]

I have seen full many a sightBorn of day or drawn by night:Sunlight on a silver stream,Golden lilies all a-dream,Lofty mountains, bold and proud,Veiled beneath the lacelike cloud;But no lovely sight I knowEquals Dinah kneading dough. Brown arms buried elbow-deepTheir domestic rhythm keep,As with steady sweep they goThrough the gently yielding dough.Maids may vaunt their […]

Dear critic, who my lightness so deplores,Would I might study to be prince of bores,Right wisely would I rule that dull estate–But, sir, I may not, till you abdicate.

Want to trade me, do you, mistah? Oh, well, now, I reckon not,W’y you could n’t buy my Sukey fu’ a thousan’ on de spot.Dat ol’ mare o’ mine?Yes, huh coat ah long an’ shaggy, an’ she ain’t no shakes to see;Dat’s a ring-bone, yes, you right, suh, an’ she got a on’ry knee,But dey […]

Wen de snow ‘s a-fallin’An’ de win’ is col’.Mammy ‘mence a-callin’,Den she ‘mence to scol’,“Lucius Lishy Brackett,Don’t you go out do’s,Button up yo’ jacket,Les’n you ‘ll git froze.” I sit at de windahLookin’ at de groun’,Nuffin nigh to hindah,Mammy ain’ erroun’;Wish ‘t she would n’ mek meSet down in dis chaih;Pshaw, it would n’t tek […]

Daih ‘s a moughty soothin’ feelin’Hits a dahky man,‘Long to’ds night.W’en de row is mos’ nigh ended,Den he stops to fan,‘Long to’ds night.De blue smoke f’om his cabin is a-callin’ to him “Come;”He smell de bacon cookin’, an’ he hyeah de fiah hum;An’ he ‘mence to sing, ‘dough wo’kin’ putty nigh done made him dumb,‘Long […]

Out in de night a sad bird moans,An’, oh, but hit ‘s moughty lonely;Times I kin sing, but mos’ I groans,Fu’ oh, but hit ‘s moughty lonely!Is you sleepin’ well dis evenin’, Marfy, deah?W’en I calls you fom de cabin, kin you hyeah?‘T ain’t de same ol’ place to me,Nuffin’ ‘s lak hit used to […]

It’s moughty tiahsome layin’ ‘roun’Dis sorrer-laden earfly groun’,An’ oftentimes I thinks, thinks I,‘T would be a sweet t’ing des to die,An’ go ‘long home. Home whaih de frien’s I loved ‘ll say,“We’ve waited fu’ you many a day,Come hyeah an’ res’ yo’se’f, an’ knowYou’s done wid sorrer an’ wid woe,Now you’s at home.” W’en I […]

De trees is bendin’ in de sto’m,De rain done hid de mountain’s fo’m,I ‘s ‘lone an’ in distress.But listen, dah ‘s a voice I hyeah,A-sayin’ to me, loud an’ cleah,“Lay low in de wildaness.” De lightnin’ flash, de bough sway low,My po’ sick hea’t is trimblin’ so,It hu’ts my very breas’.But him dat give de […]

De ‘cession’s stahted on de gospel way,De Capting is a-drawin’ nigh:Bettah stop a-foolin’ an’ a-try to pray;Lif’ up yo’ haid w’en de King go by! Oh, sinnah mou’nin’ in de dusty road,Hyeah ‘s de minute fu’ to dry yo’ eye:Dey ‘s a moughty One a-comin’ fu’ to baih yo’ load;Lif’ up yo’ haid w’en de […]

Swing yo’ lady roun’ an’ roun’,Do de bes’ you know;Mek yo’ bow an’ p’omenadeUp an’ down de flo’;Mek dat banjo hump huhse’f.Listen at huh talk:Mastah gone to town to-night;‘T ain’t no time to walk. Lif yo’ feet an’ flutter thoo,Run, Miss Lucy, run;Reckon you ‘ll be cotched an’ kissed‘Fo’ de night is done.You don’t need […]

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,Mockin’-bird a-singin’ to be big full moon.‘Skeeter go a-skimmin’ to his fightin’ chune(Lizy Ann’s a-waitin’ in de lane!). Moccasin a-sleepin’ in de cyprus swamp;Need n’t wake […]

My neighbor lives on the hill,And I in the valley dwell,My neighbor must look down on me,Must I look up?–ah, well,My neighbor lives on the hill,And I in the valley dwell. My neighbor reads, and prays,And I–I laugh, God wot,And sing like a bird when the grass is greenIn my small garden plot;But ah, he […]

In the east the morning comes,Hear the rollin’ of the drumsOn the hill.But the heart that beat as they beatIn the battle’s raging day heatLieth still.Unto him the night has come,Though they roll the morning drum. What is in the bugle’s blast?It is: “Victory at last!Now for rest.”But, my comrades, come behold him,Where our colors […]

W’en daih ‘s chillun in de house,Dey keep on a-gittin’ tall;But de folks don’ seem to seeDat dey ‘s growin’ up at all,‘Twell dey fin’ out some fine dayDat de gals has ‘menced to grow,Wen dey notice as dey passDat de front gate ‘s saggin’ low. Wen de hinges creak an’ cry,An’ de bahs go […]

By the pool that I see in my dreams, dear love,I have sat with you time and again;And listened beneath the dank leaves, dear love,To the sibilant sound of the rain. And the pool, it is silvery bright, dear love,And as pure as the heart of a maid,As sparkling and dimpling, it darkles and shinesIn […]