1.
Mandy’s sleepin’ wid de angels now –
Mandy dat was sweetes’ ob dem all –
An’ we laid huh side de hic’ry tree
‘Till de day she heah huh Mastah’s call:
Ah kin feel huh ahms erroun’ mah nec’,
Ah kin feel de puffume ob huh bref;
An’ de teahs go tumblin’ down mah cheeks,
Kase de folkses call huh sleepin’ def.
2.
Did you evah see mah Mandy, chile?
Lawd! but she was diffunt f’um de res’,
Eyes dat’s blackuh dan de blackes’ night,
Teef dat’s whituh dan a chicken’s bres’;
You should felt dose han’s, wahm an’ sof’,
You should tas’e dem lips dat tas’e lak mo’,
Den you’d know fu’ sho’ de reason why
Ah am allus lingerin’ by huh do’.
3.
Buhds may sing daih songs, an’ sing ’em well,
Brook go laffin’ lak ol’ sorrer’s daid,
Rabbit grin, an’ possum hol’ his sides,
An’ de owl go shake his wise ol’ haid;
But daih’s nuffin’ will be chee’ful now,
All de earf am but a lonely lan’,
While mah Mandy’s in de Beulahlan’
Singin’ ‘Glory’ wid de angel ban’.
Fenton Johnson
(Fenton Johnson)
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Based on Topics: Night PoemsBased on Keywords: mastah, mandy, res, possum, chile, hol, haid, sorrer, sho, wid, ful