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Plantation echoes : $b a collection of original Negro dialect poems — John Shaqi

Plantation echoes : $b a collection of original Negro dialect poemsHenderson, Elliott Blaine

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Plantation echoes : $b a collection of original Negro dialect poems

Name: Plantation echoes : $b a collection of original Negro dialect poems
Author: Henderson, Elliott Blaine

Henderson, Elliott Blaine

American poetry -- African American authors; Dialect poetry, American

Soft falls the night—
      And chases ’way
    The slowly dying
      Summer day.
    The sun from his
      Ethereal height,
    Is curtained by
      The shades of night.

    Soft falls the night—
      The birds that tune
    Their song with nature
      In commune
    Now hush their lays
      Seek silent rest,
    Within their downy
      Leafy nests.

    Soft falls the night—
      Sweet peace divine
    In each heart comes
      To be enshrined,
    While angels pause
      On earth to show’r
    The blessings of
      The sovereign pow’r.

    Soft falls the night—
      A peaceful sleep
    O’er earthly mortals
      Doth now creep.
    They rest now from
      Their day’s pursuit—
    The world is still,
      The world is mute.

    Soft falls the night—
      The verdure green
    Now glistens with
      A dewy sheen.
    The flowers droop,
      Their petals close,
    They dream away
      In sweet repose.

    Soft fades the night—
      Lo! breaks the dawn,
    And nature ’wakens
      With the morn,
    Exultingly
      Sends up her lays,
    Her symphonies,
      To God in praise.




GIT ON BOARD, CHILLUN.


    De Gospel train am er scootin’ down de rail!
      Git on board, chillun!
    Fas’ah den er ship wid er ruddah an’ er sail!
      Git on board, chillun!
    De Lawd in heaben am de steam an’ de pow’r!
    He run dat train forty millun miles an’ hour!
    Jes’ es stroke ub de throttle
    Sends her clah to heaben’s tow’r!
      Git on board, chillun!

    No sinnah tribe kin ebbah ride on dat train!
      Git on board, chillun!
    De debil ner his imps ef day’s cut loose fum dey chain!
      Git on board, chillun!
    None but de lams ub de good Lawd’s fol’
    Kin ride dat train to de streets o’ gol’,
    Wid de ’liggun lak an’ ocean obeahflowin’ in yo’ soul!
      Git on board, chillun!

    She’s jes’ lak lightnin’ an’ de quibbah o’ de eye!
      Git on board, chillun!
    Ez she’s puffin’ an’ er steamin’ in er trabblin’ to de sky!
      Git on board, chillun!
    She’s limited, too, an’ she goes clah th’ew!
    She’s got no time fo’ to fool wid yo’!
    Yo’ mus’ git on board, when de time cums, doo!
      Git on board, chillun!

    Dat train hain’t skeddul fo’ de secun’ time.
      Git on board, chillun!
    Fo’ to cum an’ fotch yo’ to de heabenly clime!
      Git on board, chillun!
    She goes straight on an’ she doan’ tarn back!
    When she once git start why she hain’t gwine to slack!
    Till she runs in heab’n on de right side track!
      Git on board, chillun!

    De debil ner his imps kaint wreck dat ol’ train!
      Git on board, chillun!
    Ez she’s dashin’ an’ er steamin’ o’er de mountains an’ de plain!
      Git on board, chillun!
    She sticks to de rail lak de hyah on yo’ back!
    An’ she nebbah was known fo’ to jump fum de track!
    Kaze de Lawd’s at de throttle an’ he sho’ got de knac’!
      Git on board, chillun!




UNCLE NED AN’ DE MOCKIN’ BIRD.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Plantation echoes : $b a collection of original Negro dialect poems

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