The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/The Photograph

THE PHOTOGRAPH

See dis pictyah in my han'?
  Dat's my gal;
Ain't she purty? goodness lan'!
  Huh name Sal.
Dat's de very way she be—
Kin' o' tickles me to see
Huh a-smilin' back at me.

She sont me dis photygraph
  Jes' las' week;
An' aldough hit made me laugh—
  My black cheek
Felt somethin' a-runnin' queer;
Bless yo' soul, it was a tear
Jes' f'om wishin' she was here.

Often when I 's all alone
  Layin' here,
I git t'inkin' 'bout my own
  Sallie dear;
How she say dat I 's huh beau,
An' hit tickles me to know
Dat de gal do love me so.

Some bright day I 's goin' back,
  Fo' de la!
An' ez sho' 's my face is black,
  Ax huh pa
Fu' de blessed little miss
Who 's a-smilin' out o dis
Pictyah, lak she wan'ed a kiss!

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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