Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A NEGRO SONG OF HOME by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING

First Line: TAIN'T BERRY MANY PEOPLE WAT'LL LISTEN TO A NIGGAH
Last Line: FROUGH DE SINGIN' OB DE KETTLE ON DE HOB.
Subject(s): AFRICAN AMERICANS; AFRICAN AMERICANS - SONG & MUSIC; BLACK SONGS; HOME; NEGROES; AMERICAN BLACKS; NEGRO SPIRITUALS;
'TAIN'T berry many people wat'll listen to a niggah
Un 'low dey's enny sense in wot he say,
But I'se gwine ter guv de 'sperience of mah feelin's, and I figgah
Dat dey's quite a smart o' people tinks mah way.
W'en a man begins a-shoutin' 'bout de good tings dat he's missin'
Kickin' kase dey ain't a fortune in his job,
Let 'im go home to his kitchen, an' set down a while an' listen
To de singin' ob de kettle on de hob.

I've hayrd de strains ob "Home, Sweet Home" when Patti was a-singin'
An' de aujience was a-spillin' ob deir tears;
But I didn't mind the singah, fo' a different tune kep' ringin'
Wif hits ha'nty kin' ob music in mah ears.
An' I reckernized de melerdy so powerful bewitchin'
Dat made mah heart like sixty fo' ter t'rob,
An' I mejiate felt a hank'rin' fo' my cozy little kitchen
An' de singin' ob de kettle on de hob.

De rich man can inhabitate a palace ef he wishes,
Wif brick-er-brack and pictuahs on de wall;
An' kin lay on velvet sofers an' eat off'n golden dishes,
But I wouldn't swap mah kitchen fo' his all;
Fo' hit wouldn't be like home ter me but 'ceptin' I could listen,
A-puffin' at de backy in mah cob,
While de good Lawd seemed a-speakin' ob a homelike kin' ob blessin'
Frough de singin' ob de kettle on de hob.



Home: PoetryExplorer.net