Page:The complete poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar.pdf/243
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PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
SPEAKIN' AT DE COU'THOUSE
Dey been speakin' at de cou't-
house,
An' laws-a-massy me,
'Twas de beatness kin' o' doin's
Dat evah I did see.
Of cose I had to be dah
In de middle o' de crowd,
An' I hallohed wid de othahs,
W'en de speakah riz and bowed.
house,
An' laws-a-massy me,
'Twas de beatness kin' o' doin's
Dat evah I did see.
Of cose I had to be dah
In de middle o' de crowd,
An' I hallohed wid de othahs,
W'en de speakah riz and bowed.
I was kind o' disapp'inted
At de smallness of de man,
Case I'd allus pictered great folks
On a mo' expansive plan;
But I t'ought I could respect him
An' tek in de wo'ds he said,
Fu' dey sho was somp'n knowin'
In de bald spot on his haid.
At de smallness of de man,
Case I'd allus pictered great folks
On a mo' expansive plan;
But I t'ought I could respect him
An' tek in de wo'ds he said,
Fu' dey sho was somp'n knowin'
In de bald spot on his haid.
But hit did seem so't o' funny
Aftah waitin' fu' a week
Dat de people kep' on shoutin'
So de man des could n't speak;
De ho'ns dey blared a little,
Den dey let loose on de
drums,—
Some one tol' me dey was playin'
"See de conkerin' hero comes."
Aftah waitin' fu' a week
Dat de people kep' on shoutin'
So de man des could n't speak;
De ho'ns dey blared a little,
Den dey let loose on de
drums,—
Some one tol' me dey was playin'
"See de conkerin' hero comes."
"Well," says I, "you all is white
folks,
But you 's actin' queer,
What 's de use of heroes comin'
Ef dey cain't talk w'en dey 's
here?"
Aftah while dey let him open,
An' dat man he waded in,
An' he fit de wahs all ovah
Winnin' victeries lak sin.
folks,
But you 's actin' queer,
What 's de use of heroes comin'
Ef dey cain't talk w'en dey 's
here?"
Aftah while dey let him open,
An' dat man he waded in,
An' he fit de wahs all ovah
Winnin' victeries lak sin.
W'en he came down to de present,
Den he made de feathahs fly.
He des waded in on money,
An' he played de ta'iff high.
An' he said de colah question,
Hit was ovah, solved, an' done,
Dat de dahky was his brothah,
Evah blessed mothah's son.
Den he made de feathahs fly.
He des waded in on money,
An' he played de ta'iff high.
An' he said de colah question,
Hit was ovah, solved, an' done,
Dat de dahky was his brothah,
Evah blessed mothah's son.
Well he settled all de trouble
Dat's been pesterin' de lan',
Den he set down mid de cheerin'
An' de playin' of de ban'.
I was feelin' moughty happy
Twell I hyeahed somebody
speak,
"Well, dat 's his side of de bus'-
ness,
But you wait for Jones nex'
weck."
Dat's been pesterin' de lan',
Den he set down mid de cheerin'
An' de playin' of de ban'.
I was feelin' moughty happy
Twell I hyeahed somebody
speak,
"Well, dat 's his side of de bus'-
ness,
But you wait for Jones nex'
weck."
.
BLACK SAMSON OF BRANDYWINE
"In the fight at Brandywine, Black
Samson, a giant negro armed with a
scythe, sweeps his way through the
red ranks. . . ." C. M. Skinner's
"Myths and Legends of Our Own Land."
Gray are the pages of record,
Dim are the volumes of eld;
Else had old Delaware told us
More that her history held.
Dim are the volumes of eld;
Else had old Delaware told us
More that her history held.
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