The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/Whip-Poor-Will and Katy-Did

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

WHIP-POOR-WILL AND KATY-DID

Slow de night 's a-fallin',
An' I hyeah de callin,
  Out erpon de lonesome hill;
Soun' is moughty dreary,
Solemn-lak an' skeery,
  Sayin' fu' to "whip po' Will."

Now hit 's moughty tryin',
Fu' to hyeah dis cryin',
  'Deed hit 's mo' den I kin stan';
Sho' wid all our slippin',
Dey 's enough of whippin'
  'Dout a bird a'visin' any man.

In de noons o' summah
Dey 's anothah hummah
  Sings anothah song instid;
An' his th'oat 's a-swellin'
Wid de joy o' tellin',
  But he says dat "Katy did."

Now I feels onsuhtain;
Won't you raise de cu'tain
  Ovah all de ti'ngs dat 's hid?
W'y dat feathahed p'isen
Goes erbout a-visin'
  Whippin' Will w'en Katy did?