Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE OLD PLANTATION, by JOHN TROTWOOD MOORE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE OLD PLANTATION, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: O I'm sick an' tired an' lonely
Last Line: Kiss 'em good-night now forever—an' then lay me down to sleep.
Subject(s): African Americans; Plantation Life; Slavery; Tennessee; Negroes; American Blacks; Serfs


O, I'M sick an' tired an' lonely,
An' I'd give the worl', if only
I could see the ole plantation where I played so long ago.
See the willers—swishin', swishin'—
In the creek—jes' right for fishin'—
Hear the tinkle of the cow-bell in the medder jes' below,
An' to lay there, blinkin', blinkin',
In the hazy sun, an' thinkin'
Of the batty-cakes fur supper, with the berries an' the cream,
Of the batty-cakes an' berries that would vanish like a dream.

O, I'm sick an' tired an' lonely,
An' I'd give a hoss if only
I could drink ergin the buttermilk I drunk so long ago,
In the dairy, cool an' curlin'
With the water 'round it purlin'
An' the white-wash walls a-shinin' in a microbekillin' glow,
Jes' to drink there, sorter dreamy,
Eatin' hoe-cake, crisp an' creamy,
With the smell of fryin' batty-cakes upon the evenin' air—
Fryin' batty-cakes an' bacon floatin' on the evenin' air.

O, I'm sick an' tired an' lonely,
But I'd walk a state if only
I could walk in on the ole folks that I loved so long ago,
On the mother, knittin', knittin',
An' the father smokin', sittin'
Where the sun-beams loved to flicker an' the moon-beams loved to flow,
Jes' to set there, noddin', winkin',
Full of batty-cakes an' thinkin'
'Bout time to kiss 'em good-night now, an' lay me down to sleep—
Kiss 'em good-night now forever—an' then lay me down to sleep.





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