 | The Collected Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar : |  |
THE NEWS
Whut dat you whisperin' keepin' f'om me?
Don't shut me out 'cause I 's ol' an' can't see.
Somep'n's gone wrong dat 's a-causin' you dread,—
Don't be afeared to tell—Whut! mastah dead?
Don't shut me out 'cause I 's ol' an' can't see.
Somep'n's gone wrong dat 's a-causin' you dread,—
Don't be afeared to tell—Whut! mastah dead?
Somebody brung de news early to-day,—
One of de sojers he led, do you say?
Did n't he foller whah ol' mastah lead?
How kin he live w'en his leadah is dead?
One of de sojers he led, do you say?
Did n't he foller whah ol' mastah lead?
How kin he live w'en his leadah is dead?
Let me lay down awhile, dah by his bed;
I wants to t'ink,—hit ain't cleah in my head:—
Killed while a-leadin' his men into fight,—
Dat 's whut you said, ain't it, did I hyeah right?
I wants to t'ink,—hit ain't cleah in my head:—
Killed while a-leadin' his men into fight,—
Dat 's whut you said, ain't it, did I hyeah right?
137
Mastah, my mastah, dead dah in de fiel'?
Lif' me up some,—dah, jes' so I kin kneel.
I was too weak to go wid him, dey said,
Well, now I 'll—fin' him—so—mastah is dead.
Lif' me up some,—dah, jes' so I kin kneel.
I was too weak to go wid him, dey said,
Well, now I 'll—fin' him—so—mastah is dead.
Yes, suh, I 's comin' ez fas' ez I kin,—
'T was kin' o' da'k, but hit 's lightah agin:
P'omised yo' pappy I 'd allus tek keer
Of you,—yes, mastah,—I 's follerin',—hyeah!
'T was kin' o' da'k, but hit 's lightah agin:
P'omised yo' pappy I 'd allus tek keer
Of you,—yes, mastah,—I 's follerin',—hyeah!
| The Collected Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar : | |