Page:The complete poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar.pdf/95

 PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR And

from earth

all

Nature,

to

An'

cup o' joy is brimmin' 'Twell it seems about to slop,

sky, Is

bubbling o'er with laughter.

yo'

An' you

Dat

The

wimple on the

ripples

rills,

When

Like sparkling little lasses; The sunlight runs along the hills,

And The

among

laughs

the grasses.

earth

just so full of fun

is

And

streams

of

it



mirth so freely

run

The

heavens seem to rain

grow

slant

How

climax

at de table,

tiahed

little

mad;

little

and

slen-

yo'

of

drives

joy

out

de

doubt

When

de oven do'

is

An* de smell comes de

Why,

When the

down

ness,

yo'

settle

on de

mammy

Heaven

spot,

says de blessin'

An' de co'n pone

the

opened, po'in' out ;

'lectric light o'

Seems to

it's

hot.

's

gloom tu'ns into glad-

yo'

How

der.

Why,

says de blessin'

weary lak an' sad,

o'

An' you 'se jes' a An' purhaps a

it.

me of solemn days In autumn's time of splendor, Because the sun shows fewer rays, these

set

you

Don't talk to

And

mammy

yo'

Kin'

It really can't contain

trainin' fu' to trot

An' de co'n pone

When

a racah,

feel jes' lak

is

hot.

's

year,

The

highest time of living! Till naturally its bursting cheer Just melts into thanksgiving.

When

de cabbage pot

is

An' de bacon good

When So

's

de chittlins to

is

steamin*

an' fat, a-sputter'n'

show you whah dey

's

at;

WHEN DE

CO'N PONE'S

HOT

Tek away yo' sody biscuit, Tek away yo' cake an' pie, Fu' de glory time

DEY

is

times in

Seems to Jes'

slip

a-rattlin'

Lak an

When

life

when Nature

a cog an' go,

down

creation,

ocean's overflow;

de worl'

jes'

it 's

is

comin',

'proachin'

mighty

nigh,

An' you want to jump an' hollah, Dough you know you 'd bettah

stahts a-spin-

nin'

Lak

An*

not,

When

yo'

mammy

says de blessin'

An' de co'n pone

a picaninny's top,

57]

's

hot.