YO' MAW LUBS YO' ALL by FLORENCE GRISWOLD CONNOR

DERE's allus joy when de chillen's home;
Oh Lawdy, when a' tinks! —
De teahs somehow dey allus come
An' blinds me when a' winks.

Dere's Gen'l Grant — he's like he's paw,
(Go 'way, yo teahs, go 'way!)
An' Ann Jenette, she's like heh maw —
An' Sam's like boff, dey say.

An' Abem Linkum, he's de boy
Whah makes ma old heaht ache;
He do so many cu'us tings —
Dey keep his maw awake.

But den dey is ma chillens —
An' so de teahs mus' fall,
Do' some is good, an' some — ah sho'
Yo' maw she lubs yo' all.

A' hev to count ma fing-ers
To 'member ebry one;
An' den dere's not a nuff ob dem —
To count de ones dat's gone.

Dere's little Pete, he'll nebbah come;
(Go 'way, yo teahs, go 'way!)
Fo' he hab got a bettah home,
An' wid white chillens play.

He'll nebbah know he's black up dere;
(Go 'way, yo teahs, go 'way!)
Whah fo' yo' come?) 't is bettah where
De night am allus day.

Dere's Queen, an' she a' mos' forgot;
Go 'way, yo teahs, yo' make
Me done forgot de berry one —
Dat bes' de possum bake!

Yo' maw she's old, she sholy is!
(Go 'way, yo' teahs, go 'way!)
Dey choke heh so, dey make heh miss —
Heh chillens bad to-day.

Dere's Mandy, Jim, an' Cyrus, too
An' Annie Belle — she's gone;
And Sairy Jane — she's married so
Has lots ob dem — heh own.

An' some so young, dere paw he say
Too small fo' any name.
Den how's de Lord to know dey's mine
An' call 'em jes' de same?

Somehow a' tinks ob little Pete
De mos' ob ebry day;
He was the leastest ob dem all
(Go 'way, yo' teahs, go 'way!)

But dere'll be joy when dey comes home —
De few dis wo'ld can fin';
Fo' mos' has gone to jine dere paw —
An' lef' dere maw behin'.

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