The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/Spring Fever

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

SPRING FEVER

Grass commence a-comin'
  Thoo de thawin' groun',
Evah bird dat whistles
  Keepin' noise erroun';
Cain't sleep in de mo'nin',
  Case befo' it 's light
Bluebird an' de robin,
  Done begun to fight.

Bluebird sass de robin,
  Robin sass him back,
Den de bluebird scol' him
  'Twell his face is black.
Would n' min' de quoilin'
  All de mo'nin' long,
'Cept it wakes me early,
  Case hit 's done in song.

Anybody wo'kin'
  Wants to sleep ez late
Ez de folks 'll 'low him,
  An' I wish to state
(Co'se dis ain't to scattah,
  But 'twix' me an' you),
I could stan' de bedclothes,
  Kin' o' latah, too.

'T ain't my natchul feelin',
  Dis hyeah mopin' spell.
I stan's early risin'
  Mos'ly moughty well;
But de ve'y minute,
  I feel Ap'il's heat,
Bless yo' soul, de bedclothes
  Nevah seemed so sweet.

Mastah, he's a-scol'in',
  Case de han's is slow,
All de hosses balkin',
  Jes' cain't mek 'em go.
Don' know whut's de mattah,
  Hit's a funny t'ing,
Less'n hit 's de fevah
  Dat you gits in spring.