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 | The Collected Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar : |  |
APPRECIATION
My muvver's ist the nicest one
'At ever lived wiz folks;
She lets you have ze mostes' fun,
An' laffs at all your jokes.
'At ever lived wiz folks;
She lets you have ze mostes' fun,
An' laffs at all your jokes.
I got a ol' maid auntie, too,
The worst you ever saw;
Her eyes ist bore you through and through,—
She ain't a bit like ma.
The worst you ever saw;
Her eyes ist bore you through and through,—
She ain't a bit like ma.
She's ist as slim as slim can be,
An' when you want to slide
Down on ze balusters, w'y she
Says 'at she's harrified.
An' when you want to slide
Down on ze balusters, w'y she
Says 'at she's harrified.
She ain't as nice as Uncle Ben,
What says 'at little boys
Won't never grow to be big men
Unless they're fond of noise.
What says 'at little boys
Won't never grow to be big men
Unless they're fond of noise.
But muvver's nicer zan 'em all,
She calls you, “precious lamb,”
An' let's you roll your ten-pin ball,
An' spreads your bread wiz jam.
She calls you, “precious lamb,”
An' let's you roll your ten-pin ball,
An' spreads your bread wiz jam.
An' when you're bad, she ist looks sad,
You fink she's goin' to cry;
An' when she don't you're awful glad,
An' den you're good, Oh, my!
You fink she's goin' to cry;
An' when she don't you're awful glad,
An' den you're good, Oh, my!
248
At night, she takes ze softest hand,
An' lays it on your head,
An' says “Be off to Sleepy-Land
By way o' trundle-bed.”
An' lays it on your head,
An' says “Be off to Sleepy-Land
By way o' trundle-bed.”
So when you fink what muvver knows
An' aunts an' uncle tan't,
It skeers a feller; ist suppose
His muvver 'd been a aunt.
An' aunts an' uncle tan't,
It skeers a feller; ist suppose
His muvver 'd been a aunt.
| The Collected Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar : | |