TO DR. E.A. WHITMIRE, Columbus, Ohio
Mah frens an’ fellah trabblers,
Ah rise tonight to say,
Dat ah feels mos’ eppahzootic
To be honored in dis way.
Ah didn’t kackerlate
Ah’s gwine to be de fus’ to speak,
An’ to buss in at dis juncture
Seems it am er lots ob cheek.
Ah hain’t much on speech makin’,
Ah doan’ lay no claim to sich,
Ah’ ‘fraid befo’ ah gits froo
Ah’s gwine to swamp into de ditch.
Ah’s kinder skyard ah’s gwine to
Git de hoss behine de kyart!
So dat am pawt de reason
Dat ah’s er li’l’ skyard to stawt.
Ah hain’t much on skewce makin’,
Tryin’ to wiggle out de hawhess,
Dis am er fac’ ah speaks tonight,
An’ comes fum one dat’s honess’,
Dis am big game fo’ me tonight,
Ah mus’ say fo’ to tackle,
So dat am ’bout de reason,
Dat ah feels jes’ skyard er spackle.
Ah doan’ know much ’bout grammah,
Dahfo’ nebbah de less ah specks,
Befo’ ah gits ha’f froo dis ting
Ah’ll git loss in mah tex’
De d’sults am so permisskess
An’ so debillertates itse’f,
Dat after’ vestergayshun
Dey hain’t nuffin’ much dat’s lef’.
An useter preech er li’l’ bit,
Was called er fair exzortah!
But some de deacons rizzed er kick,
An’ cut mah salary shortah.
Right den an, dah ah drapp’d mah trade,
White washin’ b’gin to follah.
So when yo’ need sich in mah line
Yo’ll find me in de hollah.
Ah see so many hyar tonight
Kin orate lak good Moses.
Ah jes’ kain’t see how ise de one
To speak, yo’ good fo’ks choses,
Ah sho’ mus’ ‘gratulate mahse’f
At dis great unckshess kineness
An’ pacify mah inmos’ soul an’ say,
Dis am sublimeness,
Sich honors frusst on me dis way
It pessterkates me terr’ble!
Ah’s jes’ plum drunk wiff joy an’ glee,
An’ free fum all tings worr’ble.
Ah retrospeckterkates er speck
De pass down to de present,
De ‘vancement ob prosperity,
Bobbs up jes’ lak er pheasant.
Why ah jes’ feels mos’ hippnertized,
Mah heart’s combusskerated!
To hab sich good will ob yo’ all,
To be so ellervated.
De parr’ble ob mah dreams explode
Far mo’ den ah expected!
Ah hopes whut ah’s done said tonight,
Will allus be refleckted.
Dey’s so much dat’s to tawk erbout,
Mah mine gits in confusion,
In tryin’ to exkervate some thoughts
De differn’ sides perroozin’,
But beings ah mus’ be speedy,
Kaze mah time am got er limit.
De tings dat am less ‘powtant,
Ah’ll mah subjee’ kinder trim it.
Mah frens yo’ all am ‘sembled hyar,
To abdercate great problem,
Ah hopes yo’ll labberate yo’se’ves
Togeddah fo’ to solb ’em.
De copiousness ob fluency
Absorbs mah aspirations,
To sich er stent
Ah hopes mah frens
Will he’p de cullahd natien!
Kose ah debbillerates de fac’
Dat we hain’t reached de zenith!
Whah ‘vancement an’ prosperity
Am hubberin’ in between us.
De eagle am er roostin’ high!
He flopps his wings an’ flutters,
He koch er hol’ de Stars an’ Stripes
An’ says we all am brudders.
Move on ye cullahd fo’ks! Move on!
Jes’ lak de ship ob Zion!
Ef yo’ kerflounce de Lawd will gibb
Yo’ credit fo’ er tryin’!
De bumbs may buss loss in de air,
De shells crack loose an’ whis’el!
Jes’ dodge ’em lak er porckyoopine
March on lak Paul, de Pissel!
Ah takes de telescope ob thought,
An’ views beyond ol’ Dixie!
An’ rings am kinder brilein’ up
An’ gittin’ mighty twisty!
Jes’ keep right on!
Doan’ make er turn,
Jes’ keep yo’ foots er trompin’
Fus’ ting yo’ know yo’ all will buss
Squah in de harbor stompin’!
De flosserfy ob de phrase
Ah bleebs, de subjec’ signed befo’ me,
It’s got me sortah tangled
At de same time kineder bores me!
Ah laks to tawk permisskuss
Fus’ one ring an’ den de udder,
Not tied up, but jes’ let loose
Lak er ship dat’s on er skudder.
Perskronnimy am one de tings
Ah laks mos’ pow’ful awful!
Er ting ah laks to’ lusstrate ’bout
When ah gits pow’ful thoughtful.
It patterrisk terkates mah views
An’ makes mah subjec’ spicey!
It jossellates de fo’kses up
So dat dey doan’ git icey!
But pollerticks am er nudder ring,
Dat occupies mah tenshun!
Ah’ll not abbrupterkate dis now,
To gibb mah time extenshun’
Mah time am flittin’ mighty fas’
Jes’ lak er big ball eagle!
Ah guess it’s ’bout de time fo’ me
To out dis loop to wiggle!
Ah hopes ah’s spok’d hermet’cally
In sich er way an’ manner
To glorify dis United States
Dis great big ‘Mer’can banner!
Dat quadruped de dubb ob peace
Kerfrolics ‘roun’ erbout us!
De lion’s done laid down wiff de sheep
An’ fears done tuck plum out us!
Now ef yo’ll cleah yo’ froats er spell,
We’ll have er li’l’ singin’,
Ah want yo’ all to sot dis place,
Jes’ lak er cow bell ringin’,
Jes’ frow yo’ soul dow in de chune!
An buss out payteottic
‘Rouse de white fo’ks off dey shinns
Wiff er cheer dat’s narrokocktic!
(Elliott Blaine Henderson)
More Poetry from Elliott Blaine Henderson:
Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems based on Topics: Place, Thought & Thinking, Mind, Money & Wealth, Speaking, Speech, Present, Business & Commerce, Reasoning- The Soliloquy Of Satan. (Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems)
- De Raddeekayshun Ob Bruddah Jones. (Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems)
- Pawson Locus Visits Sistah Tootles. (Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems)
- Uncle Esau's Courtin'. (Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems)
- Fishin' Time. (Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems)
- The Pawson's Thanksgiving Call. (Elliott Blaine Henderson Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Mind Poems, Place Poems, Thought & Thinking Poems, Money & Wealth Poems, Speaking Poems, Reasoning Poems, Business & Commerce Poems, Present Poems, Speech PoemsBased on Keywords: tings, lawd, salary, erbout, lef, nuffin, udder, whah, fus, hol, gwine