Cuddle down, ma honey, in yo' bed, Go to sleep an' res' yo' little head, Been a-kind o' ailin' all de day? Didn't have no sperit fu' to play? Never min'; to-morrer, w'en you wek, Daddy's gwine to ride you on his bek, 'Roun' an' roun' de cabin flo' so fas' — Der! He's closed his little eyes at las'. De little pickaninny's gone to sleep, Cuddled in his trundle bed so tiny, De little pickaninny's gone to sleep, Closed his little eyes so bright an' shiny. Hush! an' w'en you walk across de flo' Step across it very sof' an' slow. De shadders all aroun' begin to creep, De little pickaninny's gone to sleep. Mandy, w'at's de matter wid dat chile? Keeps a-sighin' ev'y little w'ile; Seems to me I heayhd him sorter groan, Lord! his little han's am col' as stone! W'at's dat far-off light dat's in his eyes? Dat's a light dey's borrow'd f'om de skies; Fol' his little han's across his breas', Let de little pickaninny res'. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE JAIN BIRD HOSPITAL IN DELHI by WILLIAM MEREDITH THE RHINOCEROS by HILAIRE BELLOC GHOSTS OF A LUNATIC ASYLUM by STEPHEN VINCENT BENET IN EQUAL SACRIFICE by ROBERT FROST THE JOBHOLDER by DAVID IGNATOW A BIT OF SKY by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON INEVITABLY (1) by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON |