You 'll be wonderin' whut 's de reason <br />I 's a grinnin' all de time, <br />An' I guess you t'ink my sperits <br />Mus' be feelin' mighty prime. <br />Well, I 'fess up, I is tickled <br />As a puppy at his paws. <br />But you need n't think I's crazy, <br />I ain' laffin' 'dout a cause. <br /> <br />You's a wonderin' too, I reckon, <br />Why I does n't seem to eat, <br />An' I notice you a lookin' <br />Lak you felt completely beat <br />When I 'fuse to tek de bacon, <br />An' don' settle on de ham. <br />Don' you feel no feah erbout me, <br />Jes' keep eatin', an' be ca'm. <br /> <br />Fu' I's waitin' an' I's watchin' <br />'Bout a little t'ing I see-- <br />D' othah night I's out a walkin' <br />An' I passed a 'simmon tree. <br />Now I's whettin' up my hongry, <br />An' I's laffin' fit to kill, <br />Fu' de fros' done turned de 'simmons, <br />An' de possum 's eat his fill. <br /> <br />He done go'ged hisse'f owdacious, <br />An' he stayin' by de tree! <br />Don' you know, ol' Mistah Possum <br />Dat you gittin' fat fu' me? <br />'T ain't no use to try to 'spute it, <br />'Case I knows you's gittin' sweet <br />Wif dat 'simmon flavoh thoo you, <br />So I's waitin' fu' yo' meat. <br /> <br />An' some ebenin' me an Towsah <br />Gwine to come an' mek a call, <br />We jes' drap in onexpected <br />Fu' to shek yo' han', dat's all. <br />Oh, I knows dat you 'll be tickled, <br />Seems lak I kin see you smile, <br />So pu'haps I mought pu'suade you <br />Fu' to visit us a while.<br /><br />Paul Laurence Dunbar<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/expectation-15/
