Songs of Jamaica (1912)
Pleading
If you lub me, Joanie, only tell me, dear,
Do not be so cold
When my lub is bold;
Do not mek dis burning heart o’ mine get drear,
Tek it for your own,
For ’tis yours alone.
I hav ever lub’d you from I saw[1] your face
On dat Monday morn
‘Mongst de peas an’ corn:
Lightly did you trip along wid yout’ful grace,
Wid de kerchief red
Wound about your head.
Durin’ de revival[2] we b’en use’ fe pray,
Spirit we b’en hab,
How we use’ fe sob!
Yet how soon did all of it from we get ‘way![3]
Lub kiver de whole,
We feget we “soul.”
Though I could’n’ see you when you younger b’en,
It was better so,
For we older grow,
An’ I can protect you now from udder men,
If you’ll only be
Fe me one,[4] Joanie.
How I saw you proudly draw up to your height–
As we strolled along
Gay in laugh an’ song,
Passin’ by de peenies[5] sheddin’ greenish light’–
Cos my lips did miss,[6]
Stealin’ one lee[7] kiss!
‘Member you de days down by de river-side,
I prevented you
Your washin’ to do,
Teasin’ you at times till you got vex’ an’ cried,
An’ I try de while
To coax you fe smile?
Joanie, when you were me own a[8] true sweetheart,
I lived in de air
‘Douten[9] t’ought of care,
Thinkin’, o me Joan, dat’ nuttin’ could we[10] part,
Naught to mek me fear
Fe me own a dear.
When in church on Sunday days we use’ fe sit,
You dressed in light pink,
How we used fe wink!
Wha’ de parson say we cared for not a bit,
Nuttin’ could remove
Our sweet t’oughts from love.
I am thinkin’, Joanie, when de nights were lone,
An’ you were afraid
Of each darkened shade,
An’ I use’ fe guide you over river-stone,[11]
How you trusted me
Fe care[12] you, Joanie.
‘Member you de time when many days passed by,
An’ I didn’ come
To your hill-side home,
How you wrote those sad, sad letters to know why,
Till I comfort gave
To my Joanie brave?
In those happy days, me Joan, you loved me then,
An’ I t’ought dat you
Would be ever true;
Never dreamed you would forsake me for strange men,
Who caan’ lub you so
Much as thrown-up Joe.
Joanie, fickle Joanie, give up Squire’s son;
You wi’ soon hate him
An’ his silly whim,
An’ your heart wi’ yearn fe me when I am gone;
So, ‘fo’ ’tis too late,
Come back to your mate.
Joanie, when you’re tired of dat worthless man,
You can come back still
Of your own free will:
Nummo girl dis true,[13] true heart will understan’;
I wi’ live so-so,[14]
Broken-hearted Joe.
An’, Joan, in de days fe come I know you’ll grieve
For de foolishniss
Dat you now call bliss:
Dere’s no wrong you done me I would not forgive;
But you choice[15] your way,
So, me Joan, good-day!
- From the moment that I saw ↵
- At revival meetings those who 'have the Spirit' give grunting sobs ↵
- Go away pass away ↵
- Mine alone ↵
- Fireflies ↵
- Make a mistake ↵
- Little ↵
- There is a delicious caressing sound about this intrusive 'a' ↵
- Without ↵
- Us ↵
- The stepping stones in the river ↵
- Look after ↵
- No other girl can understand ↵
- Alone ↵
- Choose, have chosen ↵