Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, NOAH EN DE ARK, by LOUISE AYRES GARNETT


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

NOAH EN DE ARK, by                    
First Line: I wisht dat I wuz norah a-sailin' in de ark
Last Line: Gawd he walk' wid norah, etc.
Subject(s): Noah (bible)


I wisht dat I wuz Norah a-sailin' in de Ark,
A-sailin', sailin', sailin' fur away.
He heerd his Massa callin' him, a-callin' thoo the dark,
A-callin', callin', callin' all de day.
Norah he wuz righeous, en de Lawd He say, sezee,
"Go mek yerse'f a dwellin'-place en ride upon de sea."
En Norah say, perlitely, "You done right ter pick on me,"
En he hammer, hammer, hammer w'ile he pray.

Gawd He walk' wid Norah,
En Norah walk' wid Gawd.
In de coolness ob de ev'nin' time
Norah walk' wid Gawd.

De Lawd he says ter Norah, "Mek dat Ark o'goopher wood,
En hammer, hammer, hammer wid yer might,
En black it up wid pitch 'n' tar, en waterproof it good,
En hammer, hammer, hammer ha'd en tight.
Go mek it fifty cupids wide en t'irty cupids high,
En mek it monst'us long er e'se I'll know de reason w'y;
En build it up t'ree stories, wid a winder fer ter spy,
En hammer, hammer, hammer day an' night."
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.

De Lawd he say ter Norah, "Set yer fambly all ter work
Ter hammer, hammer, hammer wid deir might.
Don' let yer sons en wimmen en de pickaninnies shirk;
Dey mus' hammer, hammer, hammer ha'd en tight."
En Norah say, "I years Y'u, en we'll wo'k lak de Ole Nick.
I knows it ain't no picnic fer ter build a boat so quick,
But ef we-alls des humps ourse'fs we's boun' ter do de trick,
Ef we hammer, hammer, hammer day en night."
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.

Now, Norah he was gittin' on, but full o' soopleness,
En hammer, hammer, hammer wid 'is might.
His years wuz ha'f a t'ousan', wid a hunderd, mo'er less,
But he hammer, hammer, hammer ha'd en tight.
Ham he wuz a hummer en a hammerer t' boot.
He foun' de fines' goopher trees en pull 'em by de root;
En Shem he wuz 'is pappy's pet en w'istle on de flute
W'ile dey hammer, hammer, hammer day en night.
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.

Japet wuz de younges', des a hunderd year er so,
But he hammer, hammer, hammer wid 'is might.
He run 'is pappy's errants en he w'ittle on de do',
En hammer, hammer, hammer ha'd en tight.
En w'en de Ark wuz finish' Norah mek de 'tation lis'
En 'vited all de beasteses, en not a one he miss',
En he ax' de birds en fishes kaze de Lawd He done insis',
W'ile he hammer, hammer, hammer day en night.
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.

"Now, how does you sergashuate?" sez Norah ter a w'ale.
"Des hurry, hurry, hurry 'fo' hit's dark.
Be sho' you bring de missus, en don' flop eroun' yer tail,
Ner squabble, squabble, squabble wid de shark."
He axes Mistah Skeetur would he please ter enter in.
Mis' Norah she git mad ez hops en say it wuz a sin,
W'ich mek de Skeetur huffy en he stung 'er on de chin,
En hammer, hammer, hammer thoo de Ark.
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.

Dey all went in by twoses, en at las' de Ark wuz full,
En wot-a, wot-a, wot-a load wuz dey!
Shem bolted fas' de winder, en den give de bell a pull,
En dey floated, floated, floated up de bay.
De Lawd He say ter Norah, "Wid des all Mah might en main,
For fo'ty days en fo'ty nights I's gwinter sen' a rain,
En ef you-alls behaves yerse'fs, ner takes Mah name in vain,
You'll go sailin', sailin', sailin' fur away."
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.

En w'en de ride wuz did en done, dey all goes troo de do'
Ez happy, happy, happy ez a lark,
En falls down on deir kneeses fer ter t'ank de Lawd fer sho'
Dey wuz 'livered, 'livered, 'livered f'om de dark.
De Lawd He flung a rainbow 'crost de elements en sky,
En He say ter Mistah Norah, "You is monst'us peart en spry,
En I'll neber disremembers you's de apple ob Mah eye,
Fer you hammer, hammer, hammer on de Ark."
Gawd He walk' wid Norah, etc.





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