The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/Expectation

EXPECTATION

You 'll be wonderin' whut 's de reason I 's a grinnin' all de time, An' I guess you t'ink my sperits Mus' be feelin' mighty prime. Well, I 'fess up, I is tickled As a puppy at his paws. But you need n't think I's crazy, I ain' laffin' 'dout a cause.

You's a wonderin' too, I reckon, Why I does n't seem to eat, An' I notice you a lookin' Lak you felt completely beat When I 'fuse to tek de bacon, An' don' settle on de ham. Don' you feel no feah erbout me, Jes' keep eatin', an' be ca'm.

Fu' I's waitin' an' I's watchin' 'Bout a little t'ing I see— D' othah night I's out a walkin' An' I passed a 'simmon tree. Now I's whettin' up my hongry, An' I's laffin' fit to kill, Fu' de fros' done turned de 'simmons, An' de possum 's eat his fill.

He done go'ged hisse'f owdacious, An' he stayin' by de tree! Don' you know, ol' Mistah Possum Dat you gittin' fat fu' me? 'T ain't no use to try to 'spute it, 'Case I knows you's gittin' sweet Wif dat 'simmon flavoh thoo you, So I's waitin' fu' yo' meat.

An' some ebenin' me an Towsah Gwine to come an' mek a call, We jes' drap in onexpected Fu' to shek yo' han', dat's all. Oh, I knows dat you 'll be tickled, Seems lak I kin see you smile, So pu'haps I mought pu'suade you Fu' to visit us a while.