Page:The complete poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar.pdf/64



Dis is gospel weathah sho'—
 * Hills is sawt o' hazy.

Meddahs level ez a flo'
 * Callin' to de lazy.

Sky all white wif streaks o' blue,
 * Sunshine softly gleamin',

D'ain't no wuk hit 's right to do,
 * Nothin' 's right but dreamin'.

Dreamin' by de rivah side
 * Wif de watahs glist'nin',

Feelin' good an' satisfied
 * Ez you lay a-list'nin'

To the little nakid boys
 * Splashin' in de watah,

Hollerin' fu' to spress deir joys
 * Jes' lak youngsters ought to.

Squir'l a-tippin' on his toes,
 * So's to hide an' view you;

Whole flocks o' camp-meetin' crows
 * Shoutin' hallelujah.

Peckahwood erpon de tree
 * Tappin' lak a hammah;

Jaybird chattin' wif a bee,
 * Tryin' to teach him grammah.

Breeze is blowin' wif perfume,
 * Jes' enough to tease you;

Hollyhocks is all in bloom,
 * Smellin' fu' to please you.

Go 'way, folks, an' let me 'lone,
 * Times is gettin' dearah—

Summah's settin' on de th'one,
 * An' I'm a-layin' neah huh!

springs upon the ledge, A lark sits singing in the hedge; Sweet perfumes scent the balmy air, And life is brimming everywhere. What lark and breeze and blue-bird sing,
 * Is Spring, Spring, Spring!

No more the air is sharp and cold; The planter wends across the wold, And, glad, beneath the shining sky We wander forth, my love and I. And ever in our hearts doth ring
 * This song of Spring, Spring!

For life is life and love is love, 'Twixt maid and man or dove and dove, Life may be short, life may be long, But love will come, and to its song Shall this refrain for ever cling
 * Of Spring, Spring, Spring!

, the poets may sing of their Lady Irenes, And may rave in their rhymes about wonderful queens; But I throw my poetical wings to the breeze,