I BEEN t'inkin' 'bout de preachah; whut he said de othah night, 'Bout hit bein' people's dooty, fu' to keep dey faces bright; How one ought to live so pleasant dat ouah tempah never riles, Meetin' evahbody roun' us wid ouah very nicest smiles. Dat's all right, I ain't a-sputin' not a t'ing dat soun's lak fac', But you don't ketch folks a-grinnin' wid a misery in de back; An' you don't fin' dem a-smilin' w'en dey's hongry ez kin be, Leastways, dat's how human natur' allus seems to 'pear to me. We is mos' all putty likely fu' to have our little cares, An' I think we 'se doin' fus' rate w'en we jes' go long and bears, Widout breakin' up ouah faces in a sickly so't o' grin, W'en we knows dat in ouah innards we is p'intly mad ez sin. Oh dey 's times fu' bein' pleasant an' fu' goin' smilin' roun', 'Cause I don't believe in people allus totin' roun' a frown, But it 's easy 'nough to titter w'en de stew is smokin' hot, But hit 's mighty ha'd to giggle w'en dey 's nuffin' in de pot. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LAND O' THE LEAL by CAROLINA OLIPHANT NAIRNE ON THE DEATH OF LITTLE MAHALA ASHCRAFT by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY THE LATTICE AT SUNRISE by CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER CEREMONIAL ODE; INTENDED FOR A UNIVERSITY by LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE BALLAD TO THE TUNE - 'BUT I FANCY LOVELY NANCY' by PATRICK CAREY IN IMITATION OF A SONG IN THE PLAY OF ROLLO by CHARLES COTTON |