Classic and Contemporary Poetry
DE MASSA, by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING Poet's Biography First Line: De massa to de shepa'd say Last Line: "cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!" Alternate Author Name(s): King, Ben Subject(s): Sheep | ||||||||
DE Massa to de shepa'd say: Go call de sheep dat's gone astray. De night is col' I hear de win', A shakin 'gin my winder blin'; Dars some po' sheep dat's gone astray. Go call 'em in, Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! De shepa'd said de night was col', But all de sheep was in de fol'. "I called 'em in at set ob sun; Dey all come runnin' sep de one Dat's always wanderin' away, An' never minds de call Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!" De massa then went fro' de gloom, Ob medder fields. De autumn moon Was dodgin' roun' behin' a cloud, But still he goes a-callin' loud, For dat one sheep dat's gone astray. I hyar him call, "Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!" He listens long to hyar de soun', F'om some ole wedder pokin' roun', Dat's gone to res' down in de dell, An' wanderin' roun' has los' his bell; Tho' softer now so far away, I hyar him call, "Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!" But furder on in gloom an' damp, Upon de border ob de swamp; So chill'd by dew and autumn win's, Right dar de po' los' sheep he fin's; He lifts him up, an leads de way, Yit I hyar massa's echo say, "Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!" An' all night long de win' an' rains, An' hail against de winder panes, In dreams I hyar de massa call De wanderin' sheep, he knows 'em all. He pints de road, an' shows de way An' ever stan's an' calls, "Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SHEEP IN THE RUINS by ARCHIBALD MACLEISH THE BLIND SHEEP by RANDALL JARRELL MATANZA TO WELCOME SPRING by JIMMY SANTIAGO BACA BLACK SHEEP by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON A CHILD'S PET by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES THE LOST SHEEP by SARAH PRATT MCCLAIN GREENE THE PESSIMIST by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING |
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