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Possession

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Whose little lady is you, chile,     Whose little gal is you?     What's de use o' kiver'n up yo' face?     Chile, dat ain't de way to do.     Lemme see yo' little eyes,     Tek yo' little han's down nice,     Lawd, you wuff a million bills,     Huh uh, chile, dat ain't yo' price.     Honey, de money ain't been made     Dat dey could pay fu' you;     'T ain't no use a-biddin'; you too high     Fu' de riches' Jap er Jew.     Lemme see you smilin' now,     How dem teef o' yo'n do shine,     An' de t'ing dat meks me laff     Is dat all o' you is mine.     How 's I gwine to tell you how I feel,     How's I gwine to weigh yo' wuff?     Oh, you sholy is de sweetes' t'ing     Walkin' on dis blessed earf.     Possum is de sweetes' meat,     Cidah is the nices' drink,     But my little lady-bird     Is de bes' of all, I t'ink.     Talk erbout 'uligion he'pin' folks     All thoo de way o' life,     Gin de res' 'uligion, des' gin me     You, my little lady-wife.     Den de days kin come all ha'd,     Den de nights kin come all black,     Des' you tek me by de han',     An' I'll stumble on de track.     Stumble on de way to Gawd, my chile,     Stumble on, an' mebbe fall;     But I'll keep a-trottin', while you lead on,     Pickin' an' a-trottin', dat's all.     Hol' me mighty tight, dough, chile,     Fu' hit's rough an' rocky lan',     Heaben 's at de en', I know,     So I's leanin' on yo' han'.

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"Whose little lady is you, chile,..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Paul Laurence Dunbar delivers a powerful performance in "Possession"... ### 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

"Whose little lady is you, chile,..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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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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