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.

THE VISITOR

  Little lady at de do’,
    W’y you stan’ dey knockin’? 
  Nevah seen you ac’ befo’
    In er way so shockin’. 
      Don’ you know de sin it is
      Fu’ to git my temper riz
      Wen I ’s got de rheumatiz
    An’ my jints is lockin’?

  No, ol’ Miss ain’t sont you down,
    Don’ you tell no story;
  I been seed you hangin’ ‘roun’
    Dis hyeah te’itory. 
      You des come fu’ me to tell
      You a tale, an’ I ain’—­well—­
      Look hyeah, what is dat I smell? 
    Steamin’ victuals?  Glory!

  Come in, Missy, how you do? 
    Come up by de fiah,
  I was jokin’, chile, wid you;
    Bring dat basket nighah. 
      Huh uh, ain’t dat lak ol’ Miss,
      Sen’in’ me a feas’ lak dis? 
      Rheumatiz cain’t stop my bliss,
    Case I’s feelin’ spryah.

  Chicken meat an’ gravy, too,
    Hot an’ still a-heatin’;
  Good ol’ sweet pertater stew;
    Missy b’lieves in treatin’. 
      Des set down, you blessed chile,
      Daddy got to t’ink a while,
      Den a story mek you smile
    Wen he git thoo eatin’.

SONG

  Wintah, summah, snow er shine,
    Hit’s all de same to me,
  Ef only I kin call you mine,
    An’ keep you by my knee.

  Ha’dship, frolic, grief er caih,
    Content by night an’ day,
  Ef only I kin see you whaih
    You wait beside de way.

  Livin’, dyin’, smiles er teahs,
    My soul will still be free,
  Ef only thoo de comin’ yeahs
    You walk de worl’ wid me.