Classic Poem

My ole man named Silas: he
Dead long 'fo' ole Gin'l Lee
S'rendah, whense de wah wuz done.
Yanks dey tuk de plantation —
Mos' high-handed evah you see! —
Das rack round', an' fiah an' bu'n,
An' jab de beds wid deir bay-net-gun,
An' sweah we niggahs all scotch-free, —
An' Massah John C. Pemberton
Das tuk an' run!

" Gord Armighty, marm, " he 'low,
" He'p you an' de chillen now! "
Blaze crack out 'n de roof inside
Tel de big house all das charified!
Smoke roll out 'n de ole haymow
An' de wa'house do' — an' de fiah das roah —
An' all dat 'backer, 'bout half dried,
Hit smell das fried!

Nelse, my ol'est boy, an' John, —
Atter de baby das wuz bo'n,
Erlongse dem times, an' lak ter 'a' died,
An' Silas he be'n slip an' gone
'Bout eight weeks ter de Union side, —
Dem two boys dey start fo' ter fine
An' jine deir fader acrost de line.
Ovahseeah he wade an' tromp
Eveh-which-way fo' to track 'em down —
Sic de bloodhoun' fro' de swamp —
An' bring de news dat John he drown' —
But dey save de houn'!

Someway ner Nelse git fru'
An' fight fo' de ole Red, White, an' Blue,
Lak his fader is, ter er heart's delight —
An' nen crope back wid de news, one night —
Sayes, " Fader's killed in a scrimmage-fight,
An' saunt farewell ter ye all, an' sayes
Fo' ter name de baby " Gladness," 'caze
Mighty nigh she 'uz be'n borned free! "
An' de boy he smile so strange at me
I sayes, " Yo' 's hurt yo'se'f! " an' he
Sayes, " I's killed, too — an' dat's all else! "
An' dah lay Nelse!

Hope an' Angrish, de twins, be'n sole
" Fo" dey mo' 'n twelve year ole:
An' Mary Magdaline sole too.
An' dah I's lef', wid Knox-Andrew,
An' Lily, an' Maje, an' Margaret,
An' little gal-babe, 'at's borned dat new
She scaisely ole fo' ter be named yet —
Less'n de name 'at Si say to —
An' co'se hit do .

An' I taken dem chillen, evah one
(An' a-oh my Mastah's will be done!),
An' I break fo' de Norf, whah dey all raised free
(An' a-oh good Mastah, come git me!).
Knox-Andrew, on de day he died,
Lef' his fambly er shop an' er lot berside;
An' Maje die ownin' er team — an' he
Lef' all ter me.

Lily she work at de Gran' Hotel —
(Mastah! Mastah! take me — do!) —
An' Lily she ain' married well:
He stob a man — an' she die too;
An' Margaret she too full er pride
Ter own her kin tel er day she died!
But Gladness! — 't ain' soun' sho'-nuff true, —
But she teached school! — an' er white folks, too,
Ruspec' dat gal 'mos' high ez I do! —
'Caze she 'uz de bes' an' de mos' high bred —
De las' chile bo'n, an' de las chile dead,
O' all ten head!

...

Gladness! Gladness! a-oh my chile!
Wa'm my soul in yo' sweet smile!
Daughter o' Silas! o-rise an' sing
Tel er heart-beat pat lak er pigeonwing!
Sayes, O Gladness! wake dem eyes —
Sayes, a-lif' dem folded han's, an' rise —
Sayes, a-coax me erlong ter Paradise,
An' a-hail de King,
O Gladness!