 | 'Weh Down Souf and other Poems : |  |
122
NIGHT ON DE OL' PLANTASHUN.
Upon de ol' plantashun, jes' erbout de crack ub day,
You could lis'en fur de oberseer's horn;
An' by sunrise we wuz movin', fur we had to git away,
An' do an hones' day's wuck shorze yo' bo'n.
But when de shadders gethered, an' we had done our turn,
We'd put away de shuvel an' de hoe,
Fur ol' marster never bothered, ef he knowed our wuck wuz done,
Ef we den injoyed de fiddle an' de bow.
You could lis'en fur de oberseer's horn;
An' by sunrise we wuz movin', fur we had to git away,
An' do an hones' day's wuck shorze yo' bo'n.
But when de shadders gethered, an' we had done our turn,
We'd put away de shuvel an' de hoe,
Fur ol' marster never bothered, ef he knowed our wuck wuz done,
Ef we den injoyed de fiddle an' de bow.
Sumtimes our wives an' chillun wuz on de 'jinin' farm,
Maybe ten or 'leben miles or mo' away;
We'd walk it 'dout no trouble, nor did it don' us harm,
An' be fresh an' ready fur de wuck nex' day.
We could dodge de patterrollers ef we didn't hab a pass—
Dat kind ub thing wuz only fun fur us—
An' 'stid ub us kumplainin', we 'joyed it to de las',
An' wuz thankful to de Lord it won't no wuss.
Maybe ten or 'leben miles or mo' away;
We'd walk it 'dout no trouble, nor did it don' us harm,
An' be fresh an' ready fur de wuck nex' day.
123
Dat kind ub thing wuz only fun fur us—
An' 'stid ub us kumplainin', we 'joyed it to de las',
An' wuz thankful to de Lord it won't no wuss.
Some would gether in de cabin, or in de cornhouse, whar,
Wid tubs an' pots an' kittles settin' roun',
Dey would rassle wid de Father in strong an' earnes' prayhr,
Whil' de water in de vessels ketched de soun'.
'Cause 'do' we mout be sinnuz, an' wander frum de fol',
Our 'zires wuz always right ez dey could be,
An' our 'pendunce in de Bible, whar ub de lan' we'z tol',
Whar servunts frum de marster is set free.
Wid tubs an' pots an' kittles settin' roun',
Dey would rassle wid de Father in strong an' earnes' prayhr,
Whil' de water in de vessels ketched de soun'.
'Cause 'do' we mout be sinnuz, an' wander frum de fol',
Our 'zires wuz always right ez dey could be,
An' our 'pendunce in de Bible, whar ub de lan' we'z tol',
Whar servunts frum de marster is set free.
Maybe ignunce made us happy when de marster treat us fair,
An' unkumplainin' when we found him mean;
An' days ub toil an' trouble cheered by nights so free from care,
On de ol' plantashun, now jes' like a dream.
An' when ol' Death shall take us, whar night kin kum no mo',
An' we meet in Heben above, to nebber roam,
We'll talk up dar togedder, wid loved ones gon' befo',
Ub de nights in de ol' plantashun hom'.
An' unkumplainin' when we found him mean;
An' days ub toil an' trouble cheered by nights so free from care,
On de ol' plantashun, now jes' like a dream.
124
An' we meet in Heben above, to nebber roam,
We'll talk up dar togedder, wid loved ones gon' befo',
Ub de nights in de ol' plantashun hom'.
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