Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SANTA'S PRESENTS FO' DE GOOD, by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SANTA'S PRESENTS FO' DE GOOD, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Listen, chil'un, en I'll tale yo'
Last Line: En he wants hit undahstood.
Alternate Author Name(s): King, Ben
Subject(s): Christmas; Santa Claus; Nativity, The; Nicholas, Saint


LISTEN, chil'un, en I'll tale yo'
What I seed de odder night
When de snow had so't o' cover'd
All de house top up in white.
'Way off yonder in de distance
'Pear'd es ef I seed a road,
En I heard de raindeers rassle
Wid de bigges' kind o' load.
Den I heard ole Santie whistle,
En I low I heard 'im sing,
But I know I heard 'is sleigh bells
Wid a so't o' 'culiah ring.
Den 'e stopt 'is sled a minute
En I listen'd well's I could,
En 'e sang: "I'm on mah journey,
But hit's only fo' de good."
Den jingle, jingle, jingle,
I could heah de sleigh bells ring,
Hit was jingle, jingle, jingle,
Den I heard ole Santie sing:
"I am on mah Chris'mus journey,
En I 'spose hit's undahstood
Dat I only 'stribute presents
Whar de chil'un mighty good.

"I ride ovah de house-tops
En I listen to de noise,
Ef I hear de leastes' trouble dere
Twix little girls en boys,
Ef I heah 'em quarrelin', cryin',
Er see 'em wear a frown,
I jes take out my mem'rand
En chalk dere number down.
Den I so't o' tech mah reindeers
En I ride ter ebery house,
En I linger neah de chimblys
Whar hit's quiet as a mouse,
Kase I like it whar hit's peaceful.
W'en I heah 'em go upstairs
En kneel down by de trundle bed
En say dere ebenin' pray'rs,
Den I listen, listen, listen,
Kase yo' see hit's undahstood
Dat I'm leabin' presents mos'ly
Whar de chil'un mighty good.

Hit was jingle, jingle, jingle,
I could heah de sleigh bells ring,
Hit was jingle, jingle, jingle,
Jes' jingle, jingle, jing.
"I am on mah Chris'mus journey,
En I 'low hit's undahstood
Dat I'm only leavin' presents
Whar de chil'un mighty good."

Yo' kain't beleebe it, chil'un,
But hit's hones' as de day,
De monsus load ob presents
Dat is piled up in dat sleigh.
Dar was little pony hosses, w'y,
I gase dar was a million,
En little sleds, en dolls, en beds,
Dar mus' a bin a billion;
En blocks, en games, en an'mul names,
En monkey on a stick, en
'Nuff ob lasses kandy dar
To make de hull worl' sick;
En little dogs en nanny goats --
Ef yo' mus' heah me talk,
I saw a little bogie man
Dat ac'chley could walk.

En ostriches, en singin' birds,
A-standin' on a wiah;
En little hose cyart enjines, too,
Fo' puttin' out a fiah,
En Noah en his an'muls,
All gwine into de ark;
En devil feesh, en scuttle feesh.
I jes' want yo' ter hark
About a little hoo-doo man
Dat had a funny tail;
En den I saw a Jonah man
A-swallerin' a whale.
Yo' nevah can imagine jes'
What Santie could o' had,
En none at all fo' chil'un
Dat is impident en bad;
But all dat go to school en learn,
En try ter ach up good
Will sholy git a present,
En he wants hit undahstood.





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