POETRY

From the Hiwassean

THE NEGRO'S WISH

Foken say de Georgians mity bad,

I'spose he git no better;

He gunner 'buse de preacher men,

And now I send him letter.

De gubner say he send de law

To rule de Ingen nation,

So let he people dig he gold

And make him no 'pensation

Beside, de pony club fokes say

Steal all the Ingens poney,

And forge de note and make him pay,

So git de Ingin money.

Poor Cherokee, because he small,

You dribe him off to nebber;

You take he land, he gold and all,

And still you mighty clebber.

If Ingin man shud go and take

De whole of gubner's tater,

I bound he twis poor Ingin's neck

Like hos and allegater.

I wunder how dis gubner feel,

And all de Georgia nation,

To see poor preacher at de wheel,

No let him preach salvation.

I wish sich gubner run away

Where Georgia nebber find him,

I wish he swim de 'Lantic sea,

And big shark close behind him.

Besides, one man, he cum along,

And catch and chain de preacher;

Now if he conshence no say rong,

` Old debble be his teacher.

I spect cause he commission git,

it makes him swell much bigger,

He bin so proud and cus so loud,

He strut like sassy niggur.

He strike a little one-eye man,

He sich a mity feller;

May debbil catch him if he can,

I guess he make him better.

If he bin man, who be well bred,

Before he cus and fite him,

And nock de preacher; on de hed,

He let de mad dog bite him.

If preacher bin in fiten gale,

And nebber made no feshon,

I bound such feller turn he tail,

And run like frited heshion.

I nebber lub sich backguard trick,

I hate him wurs and wurser,

If I could gim him one good lick,

I bound I spile his busser.

I wish he cum to Tennessee,

I larn him for dance juber,

But he so mean I frade of he,

I guess he steel my goober.

I wish he skin turn rong side out,

I guess he cut a figgur,

I wish he lib on possum snout,

And sleep along with niggur.

I wish he be in Guinea too,

I wish he bed rite woolly;

Dem niggers know how smart he do,

Dey hab him for great bully.

I wish he in de briar patch,

And had to swallow briar,

And when he skin git proper scratch,

I set em all on a fire.

I wish de fross would bite he ear,

I wish he shanks get bandy,

I wish he ride de no horn steer,

I bound he look so grandy.

I wish de steer mite frow him down,

And set he nose to bleedin,

So he be sich sassy Georgia clown,

Mite larn some sort of breedin.

I wish he in de blacksmifs shop,

And had to eat de cinder,

I wish de blacksmif take he sledge,

And nock him all to flinder.

I wish he whipt out of he skin,

And make him run to nebber,

I wish he nebber cum agin,

Without he be more clebber.