Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PLAYING LADY, by BELLE RICHARDSON HARRISON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PLAYING LADY, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I want to p'ay lady, dear mamma
Last Line: "it b'longs on the bare headed one."
Subject(s): Children; Mothers; Play; Childhood


"I WANT to p'ay lady, dear mamma,
Does you tare if I put on your jess?
An' fan wid your fan jus' a little,
O p'ease, mamma, won't you say yes?

I'll be jus' as tickler as tan be
An' pin the long twail up before.
P'ease tuck up my turls wid a hair pin,
An' the wibbon you buyed from the 'tore.

I dressed her up fine—as she wished me—
And smiled at her dignified mien,
Then stooped down and kissed the weemidget,
Who carried herself like a queen.

As she paced to and fro, just before me
Her lengthy trail sweeping the floor,
I thought what a quaint little woman,
Is Mabel, whose summers are four.

But a pucker disfigured her features,
And her dimples were lost in a frown,
As she came and stood meekly beside me,
And said as she shyly glanced down;

"Does ladies go bare-footed, mamma?
Dey'd be 'shamed of dey selves if dey did,
I'll put on my shoes in a minute
An' den my bare foots will be hid."

So she seated herself on the carpet
And put on a stocking and shoe,
With the other in hand, naively asking,
"Now mamma dear, what mus' I do?"

I glanced down to gather her meaning,
A puzzled look clouded her face;
Then lifting her brown eyes she added
With a look full of infantile grace:

"Which foots does this udder shoe b'long on?"
"Why sweet, are you asking for fun?"
"O no, I had weally fordotten,
It b'longs on the bare headed one."





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