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Expectation

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

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

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"You 'll be wonderin' whut 's de reason..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Paul Laurence Dunbar delivers a powerful performance in "Expectation"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"You 'll be wonderin' whut 's de reason..." 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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"As lone I sat one summer's day,     With mien deje..."

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