A Grievance

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Wen de snow 's a-fallin'
  An' de win' is col'.
  Mammy 'mence a-callin',
  Den she 'mence to scol',
  "Lucius Lishy Brackett,
  Don't you go out do's,
  Button up yo' jacket,
  Les'n you 'll git froze."

  I sit at de windah
  Lookin' at de groun',
  Nuffin nigh to hindah,
  Mammy ain' erroun';
  Wish 't she would n' mek me
  Set down in dis chaih;
  Pshaw, it would n't tek me
  Long to git some aih.

  So I jump down nimble
  Ez a boy kin be,
  Dough I 's all a-trimble
  Feahed some one 'll see;
  Bet in a half a minute
  I fly out de do'
  An' I 's knee-deep in it,
  Dat dah blessed snow.

  Den I hyeah a pattah
  Come acrost de flo'.
  Den dey comes a clattah
  At de cabin do';
  An' my mammy holler
  Spoilin' all my joy,
  "Come in f'om dat waller,
  Don't I see you, boy?"

  Wen de snow 's a-sievin'
  Down ez sof ez meal,
  Whut 's de use o' livin'
  'Cept you got de feel
  Of de stuff dat's fallin'
  'Roun' an' white an' damp,
  'Dout some one a-callin',
  "Come in hyeah, you scamp!"

© Paul Laurence Dunbar