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An Easy-Goin' Feller

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Ther' ain't no use in all this strife,     An' hurryin', pell-mell, right thro' life.     I don't believe in goin' too fast     To see what kind o' road you 've passed.     It ain't no mortal kind o' good,     'N' I would n't hurry ef I could.     I like to jest go joggin' 'long,     To limber up my soul with song;     To stop awhile 'n' chat the men,     'N' drink some cider now an' then.     Do' want no boss a-standin' by     To see me work; I allus try     To do my dooty right straight up,     An' earn what fills my plate an' cup.     An' ez fur boss, I 'll be my own,     I like to jest be let alone;     To plough my strip an' tend my bees,     An' do jest like I doggoned please.     My head's all right, an' my heart's meller,     But I 'm a easy-goin' feller.

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"Ther' ain't no use in all this strife,..."

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Ther' ain't no use in all this strife,..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Paul Laurence Dunbar

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet and novelist who was one of the first African-American writers to gain national prominence. His poems in dialect—including "When Malindy Sings"—and standard English explore Black life with humor, pathos, and dignity.

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