The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/Speakin' at de Cou't-house

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

For other versions of this work, see Speakin' at de Cou'thouse.

Layout 2

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.

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.

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."

"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.

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.

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."