Sumpin' 'bout a river, Kind o' gets you -- sho'! Dunno what, erzackly . . . Jes' know dat it's so -- Dat you heah it callin' -- Don' keer whah you go! You cyarn he'p but lissen. . . Kind o' makes you mad! Sumpin' 'bout its callin' Kind o' makes you sad -- Lak you done los' sumpin', Mebbe, once you had! I's a city niggah, Now -- I done forgot All my country raisin' Down dere whah it's hot -- River keeps a-callin', Sayin', "You ain' not! "You bleeged to remember How I use to flow Th'u de cane an' brambroo, By yo' cabin do' -- Nussed you on mah buzzum, You remembers, sho! "All mah chilluns wanders -- But dey don' ferget! Dey comes back to fin' me -- I don' never let Go of 'em forever. . . You'll be comin' yet!" I say: "River, lissen! I don' want to heah! I's a city niggah -- Good job, by de yeah -- Ain' no use, yo' callin' -- I gwine shut mah eah! "Nossuh, I ain' goin'! I don' want to go! Plantin' corn an' cotton, Like I done befo', In de river bottom, Ain' foh me no mo'!" Plenty noises roun' me In de city streets -- Plenty street cyars passin', Plenty folks I meet, Plenty autos tryin' Knock me off mah feet! How come I keep hearin', 'Bove an' over all All de city noises, Still de river call! 'Tain't no 'magination, Nossuh, not a-tall! I cyarn he'p but lissen -- Kind o' makes me mad! Sumpin' 'bout its callin' Kind o' makes me sad -- Lak I done los' sumpin', Mebbe, once I had! Sumpin' 'bout a river Kind o' gets you -- sho! Dunno what, erzackly . . . Jes' know dat it's so -- Keeps a callin', callin' Twell you -- up an' go! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CONSECRATED GROUND; READ AT THE NEW YORK CITY HALL by EDWIN MARKHAM THE COMPLAINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER OUR LEFT' by FRANCIS ORRERY TICKNOR A ROCKING HYMN by GEORGE WITHER CRADLE SONG OF A SOLDIER'S WIFE by T. T. BARKER |