The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar · Paul Laurence Dunbar

Noddin' by De Fire

281 of 424 · 1 min of reading

Some folks t'inks hit's right an' p'opah,

Soon ez bedtime come erroun',

Fu' to scramble to de kiver,

Lak dey 'd hyeahed de trumpet soun'.

But dese people dey all misses

Whut I mos'ly does desiah;

Dat 's de settin' roun' an' dozin',

An' a-noddin' by de fiah.

When you 's tiahed out a-hoein',

Er a-followin' de plough,

Whut's de use of des a-fallin'

On yo' pallet lak a cow?

W'y, de fun is all in waitin'

In de face of all de tiah,

An' a-dozin' and a-drowsin'

By a good ol' hick'ry fiah.

Oh, you grunts an' groans an' mumbles

Case yo' bones is full o' col',

Dough you feels de joy a-tricklin'

Roun' de co'nahs of yo' soul.

An' you 'low anothah minute

'S sho to git you wa'm an' dryah,

W'en you set up pas' yo' bedtime,

Case you hates to leave de fiah.

Whut's de use o' downright sleepin'?

You can't feel it while it las',

An' you git up feelin' sorry

W'en de time fu' it is pas'.

Seem to me dat time too precious,

An' de houahs too short entiah,

Fu' to sleep, w'en you could spen' 'em

Des a-noddin' by de fiah.

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End of part 281 of 424