Go a-screechin' laik a spook aroun' de huts,
'Twell de pickaninnies' fingahs gits to shakin' o'er de embahs
An' dey laik ter roas' dey knuckles 'stead o' nuts.
An' once w'en Chloe cum skittin' frough de do'-way ob de shanty,
Her face ez white ez any sheet—a'most,
She done skeered all dem niggahs inter feelin' mighty ha'nty
Bah 'lowin' dat she bin kissed bah a ghost!
'Twell m'dnight by de fiah all dem coward niggahs tarried,
Expectin' ebery minute sumfin orful fo' ter see;
But Chloe she nebah 'spicioned 'twell long arter we wuz married
Dat de niggah spook w'at kissed 'er den wuz me!
Omens.
By Frank L. Stanton.
I hopes de Lawd'll help me—I hopes de Lawd'll save,
Kase I feels de graveya'd rabbit des a-runnin' 'cross my grave;
De new moon shinin' on him des ez ghostly ez kin be,
En I feels him—Oh, I feels him, des a-scratchin' over me!
Good Lawd help me—
Stretch yo' han' en save;
Kase de graveya'd rabbit
Is a-runnin' 'cross my grave!
I kin tell it by de creepy kind er feelin' dat I got,
Dat he foun' my grave out yander in de cemetery lot!
En I sees de new moon shinin' des ez skeery ez kin be,
En I feels him—Oh, I feels him des a-scratchin' over me!
Good Lawd lissen—
Hear my pra'r en save;
Kase de graveya'd rabbit
Is a-runnin' 'cross my grave!
