Shet yo' eyes, ma little pickaninny, go to sleep, Mammy's watchin' by you all de w'ile; Daddy is a-wu'kin' down in de cott'n fiel', Wu'kin' fu' his little honey chile. An' yo' mammy's heart is jes' a-brimmin' full o' lub Fu' you f'om yo' head down to yo' feet; Oh, no mattah w'at some othah folks may t'ink o' you, To yo' mammy's heart you's mighty sweet. You's sweet to yo' mammy jes' de same; Dat's why she calls you Honey fu' yo' name. Yo' face is black, dat's true, An' yo' hair is woolly, too, But, you's sweet to yo' mammy jes' de same. Up der in de big house w'ere dey lib so rich an' gran' Dey's got chillen dat dey lubs, I s'pose; Chillen dat is purty, oh, but dey can't lub dem mo' Dan yo' mammy lubs you, heaben knows! Dey may t'ink you's homely, an' yo' clo'es dey may be po', But yo' shinin' eyes, dey hol's a light Dat, my Honey, w'en you opens dem so big an' roun', Makes you lubly in yo' mammy's sight. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MOUNTAIN WATER by SARA TEASDALE SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE: 35 by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING TO THE LAPLAND LONGSPUR by JOHN BURROUGHS SONNET COMPOSED ON A JOURNEY HOMEWARD by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE PALINGENESIS by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW LINES; SUGGESTED BY GRAVES TWO ENGLISH SOLDIERS ON CONCORD by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL |