En I cry to de good Lawd, "Please deliver!"
I tell 'im plain
Dat my hope is vain,
En I drinked ma' dram fer to ease ma' pain.
Den de screech-owl screech f'um de north to south:
"Yo' drinked yo' dram en yo' smacked yo' mouth!
En yo' gwine de way
Whar' de brimstone stay,
An' satan gwine to roas' yo' at de Jedgemint-Day!"
SIGNS
Josephine Merwin Cook.
DON' yo' b'lieve in signs, Mah Sophie?
I does, an' so mus' yo'.
When yo' spills de salt,
Don' yo' alius th'ow
It obber yo' lef shoulder, so?
Cose yo' does it, don' I kno'?
An' when de rooster crow, Mah Sophie,
On de do'-step, don' yo' kno',
Dat's de sign dat folks is cumin';
Den it is dat yo' go fixin',
While sum li'l' lub-chune hummin';
'Ah, yo' wuz a li'l' vixen.
Kase yo' think dey's all fer yo', Mah Sophie.
Dat is whut yo' alius do,
An' when de stars shine bright,
Yo' gwine lissen all yo' might,
Fo' de footstep, drawin' nigh;
Dat is me; do yo' kno', Sophie?
