James Weldon Johnson, ed. (18711938). The Book of American Negro Poetry. 1922. |
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An Indignation Dinner |
| James D. Corrothers |
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DEY was hard times jes fo Christmas round our neighborhood one year; | |
So we held a secret meetin, whah de white folks couldnt hear, | |
To scuss de situation, an to see what could be done | |
Towad a fust-class Christmas dinneh an a little Christmas fun. | |
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Rufus Green, who called de meetin, ris an said: In dis here town, | 5 |
An throughout de land, de white folks is a-tryin to keep us down. | |
S e: Deys bought us, sold us, beat us; now dey buse us case wes free; | |
But when dey tetch my stomach, deys done gone too fur foh me! | |
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Is I right? You sho is, Rufus! roared a dozen hungry throats. | |
Ef youd keep a mule a-wokin, dont you tamper wid his oats. | 10 |
Dats sense, continued Rufus. But dese white folks nowadays | |
Has done got so close and stingy you cant live on what dey pays. | |
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Here tis Christmas-time, an, folkses, Is indignant nough to choke. | |
Whahs our Christmas dinneh comin when wes mos completely broke? | |
I cant hahdly fod a toothpick an a glass o water. Mad? | 15 |
Say, Im despret! Dey jes better treat me nice, dese white folks had! | |
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Well, dey bused de white folks scanlous, till old Pappy Simmons ris, | |
Leanin on his cane to spote him, on account his rheumatis, | |
An s e: Chilun, whuts dat wintry wind a-sighin though de street | |
Bout yo wasted summeh wages? But, no matter, we mus eat. | 20 |
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Now, I seed a beauful tuhkey on a certain gemmuns fahm. | |
Hes a-growin fat an sassy, an a-struttin to a chahm. | |
Chickens, sheeps, hogs, sweet pertatersall de craps is fine dis year; | |
All we needs is a committee foh to tote de goodies here. | |
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Well, we lit right in an voted dat it was a gran idee, | 25 |
An de dinneh we had Christmas was worth trabblin miles to see; | |
An we eat a full an plenty, big an little, great an small, | |
Not becase we was dishonest, but indignant, sah. Dats all. | |
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