Woman's sho' a cur'ous critter, an' dey ain't no doubtin' dat. <br />She's a mess o' funny capahs f'om huh slippahs to huh hat. <br />Ef you tries to un'erstan' huh, an' you fails, des' up an' say: <br />'D' ain't a bit o' use to try to un'erstan' a woman's way.' <br /> <br />I don' mean to be complainin', but I 's jes' a-settin' down <br />Some o' my own obserwations, w'en I cas' my eye eroun'. <br />Ef you ax me fu' to prove it, I ken do it mighty fine, <br />Fu' dey ain't no bettah 'zample den dis ve'y wife o' mine. <br /> <br />In de ve'y hea't o' midnight, w'en I 's sleepin' good an' soun', <br />I kin hyeah a so't o' rustlin' an' somebody movin' 'roun'. <br />An' I say, 'Lize, whut you doin'?' But she frown an' shek huh haid, <br />'Heish yo' mouf, I's only tu'nin' of de chillun in de bed. <br /> <br />'Don' you know a chile gits restless, layin' all de night one way? <br />An' you' got to kind o' 'range him sev'al times befo' de day? <br />So de little necks won't worry, an' de little backs won't break; <br />Don' you t'ink case chillun 's chillun dey hain't got no pain an' ache.' <br /> <br />So she shakes 'em, an' she twists 'em, an' she tu'ns 'em 'roun' erbout, <br />'Twell I don' see how de chillun evah keeps f'om hollahin' out. <br />Den she lif's 'em up head down'ards, so's dey won't git livahgrown, <br />But dey snoozes des' ez peaceful ez a liza'd on a stone. <br /> <br />W'en hit's mos' nigh time fu' wakin' on de dawn o' jedgment day, <br />Seems lak I kin hyeah ol' Gab'iel lay his trumpet down an' say, <br />'Who dat walkin' 'roun' so easy, down on earf ermong de dead?'-- <br />'T will be Lizy up a-tu'nin' of de chillun in de bed.<br /><br />Paul Laurence Dunbar<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-turning-of-the-babies-in-the-bed/
