Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ACCOUNTABILITY, by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ACCOUNTABILITY, by             Poem Explanation         Poet's Biography
First Line: Folks ain't got no right to censuah othah folks about dey habits
Last Line: Viney, go put on de kittle, I got one o' mastah's chickens.
Subject(s): Human Behavior; Conduct Of Life; Human Nature


FOLKS ain't got no right to censuah othah folks about dey habits;
Him dat giv' de squir'ls de bushtails made de bobtails fu' de rabbits.
Him dat built de gread big mountains hollered out de little valleys,
Him dat made de streets an' driveways wasn't shamed to make de alleys.

We is all constructed diff'ent, d'ain't no two of us de same;
We cain't he'p ouah likes an' dislikes, ef we'se bad we
ain't to blame.
Ef we'se good, we needn't show off, case you bet it ain't ouah doin'
We gits into su'ttain channels dat we jes' cain't he'p pu'suin'.

But we all fits into places dat no othah ones could fill,
An' we does the things we has to, big er little, good er ill.
John cain't tek de place o' Henry, Su an' Sally ain't alike;
Bass ain't nuthin' like a suckah, chub ain't nuthin' like a pike.

When you come to think about it, how it 's all planned out
it 's splendid.
Nuthin 's done er evah happens, 'dout hit 's somefin' dat 's intended;
Don't keer whut you does, you has to, an' hit sholy beats
de dickens, --
Viney, go put on de kittle, I got one o' mastah's chickens.





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