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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DE MASSA by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING

First Line: DE MASSA TO DE SHEPA'D SAY
Last Line: "CU-DEY! CU-DEY! CU-DEY!"
Subject(s): SHEEP;
DE Massa to de shepa'd say:
Go call de sheep dat's gone astray.
De night is col' I hear de win',
A shakin 'gin my winder blin';
Dars some po' sheep dat's gone astray.
Go call 'em in, Cu-dey! Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!

De shepa'd said de night was col',
But all de sheep was in de fol'.
"I called 'em in at set ob sun;
Dey all come runnin' sep de one
Dat's always wanderin' away,
An' never minds de call Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!"

De massa then went fro' de gloom,
Ob medder fields. De autumn moon
Was dodgin' roun' behin' a cloud,
But still he goes a-callin' loud,
For dat one sheep dat's gone astray.
I hyar him call, "Cu-dey! Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!"

He listens long to hyar de soun',
F'om some ole wedder pokin' roun',
Dat's gone to res' down in de dell,
An' wanderin' roun' has los' his bell;
Tho' softer now so far away,
I hyar him call, "Cu-dey! Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!"

But furder on in gloom an' damp,
Upon de border ob de swamp;
So chill'd by dew and autumn win's,
Right dar de po' los' sheep he fin's;
He lifts him up, an leads de way,
Yit I hyar massa's echo say,
"Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!"

An' all night long de win' an' rains,
An' hail against de winder panes,
In dreams I hyar de massa call
De wanderin' sheep, he knows 'em all.
He pints de road, an' shows de way
An' ever stan's an' calls, "Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!
Cu-dey! Cu-dey! Cu-dey!"



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