Textarchiv - James E. McGirt

No use in signs

mrbot — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 21:10:10 +0000

'Tain't no usen being skar'd of congers,
E'n lettin black cats turn ur back;
Jest go'n er bout yuh bisnes,
An let the congers hav yer track.

Frida' aint no wus dan Monday,
Ez fur ez luck is consern;
Ef yuh han ich, don't spit in it:
Wont git nusin but what's u'rn.

Ef yuh nose ich, no 'un comin,
Ef yuh foot ich, yer goin no wher;
U'can let wurms crall al'over you
Den you'll get nuthin new to ware.

'N cos you hav a little lernin
Don't sit in try ter figer rich;
Jes git yet spade an shuvel
An go trotin' long toder ditch.

Win yer feel a little happy
Don't think of al de sorros yer had;
Cos yer eye is trembling a little
Dats no sine yer goin ter get mad.

Cos de middle toe iz longer den de big on,
Don't yet think gwine ter rule;
'N kase my hair gro' on my forehead,
Yer neanter take me fur a fool.

I am gointer sing sum in der monin,
See if de haks catch me before night;
Ef da do don't yer wury,
Jest say: "I bet day had ter fite."

James E. McGirt

1901

Home Sick

mrbot — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 21:10:09 +0000

Sittin' by de windo',
Gazin' at de snow,
Up here in de Norf land,
No friends dat I know.
Sick o' ways o' city.
Tired o' de rip and tare—
Peaceful, happy Georgia,
Lord, if I was dare!
No one hear to talk to,
'Bout de joy I's seen,
Speak o' possum huntin'—
Don' no what yo' mean.
Banjo lyin' idle,
Not allow'd to play,
People in de nex' room,
Too much noise, da' say.
Write hum' fo' a ticket?
Dat 'ould be no use,
Sent me one las' summer,
Sole' it like a goose.
Way too long fo' walkin',
Snow a fallin', too,
Lord a mercy on me,
Wh't am I to do?
Com' hear little banjo,
Lie close to my ear,
I'll jus' pic' yo' easy,
So dem fools can' hear.
What! you say der postman,
Letter he'r fo' me,
No, I jus' can' b'leve it,
Han' me; let me see.
Yes dis is her writin',
Ticket too hav' com',
Com' on little banjo,
Com', I'm goin' hom'.

James E. McGirt

1906

Signs of Death

mrbot — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 21:10:07 +0000

When you hear at night de cows a lowin',
An' dogs a howlin' out der mournful soun',
I tell you now you better get you ready,
Dey's goin' to plant som'body in de groun'.
You need not b'leave in signs, not less you wan' to,
But some of des morn' you'll wake up in su'prize,
An' if dem dogs com' howlin' where I'm sleepin',
I tell you now dis darkey's goin' 'o rize.
If der's any doubts o' being ready,
Down on my knees a prayer I'll make,
You can laugh an' say dat darkey's skeery,
I'm like a rabbit can' trus' no mistake.
It may not be fo' me de dog's a howlin',
But when de howl my path I'm goin' 'o sweep
An' I ain't goin' to bed no mo dat evenin',
Fo' death will never com' an' fin' me sleep.
Der're lots o' learned people talkin', bully,
An' saying der's nothing in de signs;
But if da com' a roun' me with der learnin'
I'm jus' er goin' 'o tell 'em dey're lyin'.
I'se got no time to listen to der learnin',
Fo' dey is jus' a tryin' to show off smart,
Der ain't nobody, don't care how dey's learned,
Dat's got de signs all wiped out o' der heart.
Fo' learnin' never takes from man his habits,
It only smears dem over wid a stain,
An' caus' you're learned, you is not an angel,
Dem same old trates er lurkin' still within.
I kno' I'm learned as high as anybody,
Yit whin a chicken coop I'm passin' by,
Der com' to me again dem same old feelin's
I'm going 'o hav' dat chicken 'cep he fly.

James E. McGirt

1906

Signs O' Rain

mrbot — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 21:48:32 +0000

Whin yoah corns an' bunions achin',
An' yoah body's full o' pain,
Yo' can res' right shure an' sertin',
Dat we's goin' 'o hav' som' rain.
Cours' de achin' is not plesen'
Tho' I wish it I mus' fes,
But not 'caus' I lov' de hurtin',
But I kno' I'll get som' res'.
In de winter I go, huntin',
Wh'n de groun' is white wi'h snow,
In de summer I go, fishin',
Wh'n de groun's too wet to plow.
Do yo' hear de dogs a barkin',
Lik' da's struck a raccoon trail,
Sho' sine o' fallin' weather,
Chile, I's neber seen it fail.
Run out, Jacob, look back Southward,
An' see if ther's a cloud in sight,
Goshie, wh't a clap o' thunder,
Clouds 're hangin' black as night.
Jacob heard de rain a fallin',
Pitter patter on de roof,
Fold his arms and looked at Hannah,
Now yo' see I's tol' de truth.
Daddy in de chimney corner,
Jake, I hear you wishin' rain,
Yes sur, dad, de garden parchin'
Don't yo' think 'twill help de grain?

James E. McGirt

1906

A Quest

mrbot — Sat, 09 Dec 2017 23:38:51 +0000

Tell me, my soul, tell me, I pine to know,
Some future day, known as the harvest time!
Am I to reap from all the grain I sow,
My ill-wrought deed am I to claim as mine?
If I should hurl my javelin in the dark,
And spread out thorns and thistles 'long the way,
Will it return and find me as its mark?
Am I to tread the thorns some future day?
O Lord, I pray that Thou wouldst guide my hand;
Let not an evil seed by me be sown,
Or cause to sprout within a brother's land
What I should hate to see within my own.

James E. McGirt

1906

Weep Not

mrbot — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 21:10:03 +0000

Weep not, friend, o'er your condition,
He who tries can find a way;
Labor, and to God petition,
Strive, and you will rise some day.
Let your steps be sure and steady,
Push ahead and never stop;
Though the field seems filled already,
There is room still at the top.
If you wish to climb life's ladder,
Start to climb it from the ground;
If great your strength it makes it sadder
To have to climb it round by round.

James E. McGirt

1906

Should I Spy Love

mrbot — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 21:10:07 +0000

If I should chance to spy love far at sea,
With outstretched arm beckoning unto me;
Though I bereft complete of spar and sail,
'Twould not prevail.

James E. McGirt

1906

True Love

mrbot — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 21:10:02 +0000

How true, dear, my love is;
Too great to compare,
Truer than the stars,
That shoot from their sphere;
Think how the sun sets
And withdraws its light;
Think how I love thee
Alone in the night.
Think of its rising,
How it varies in time;
Oh! there is no varying
In this heart of mine.
True as a rock, then—
How could I this say
When softest of waters
Can wear stone away?
Even time must change
To eternity.
Oh! there is no changing
In my love for thee.
True as eternity!
No, it's not begun;
All must start even
When a race is to run.
When old eternity
Becomes mossy and gray,
Then, dear, I'll love thee
The same as to-day.
Fear not that pale death
Will drift us apart;
Ah! death cannot sever
The love in my heart.
When we reach heaven
We shall find our own;
I'm told we will know there
As we are known.

James E. McGirt

1906

A Slothful Youth

mrbot — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 21:10:07 +0000

Beside the road in youth I sat in slumber,
The passers hailed and told me it was day;
"But, ah!" said I, "my days are great in number."
And soundly slept, regardless of their say.
Now, here I sit; the night has come upon me;
I fain would go, but darkness hides my way.
I'd turn toGod that He would look upon me;
I've now forgot the prayer I used to pray.
Yet, while I sit and vainly wait, the morning,
I yearn to tell, but ah! it is too late.
That he who sleeps at day and fails the warning,
Shall wake at night, the dreadful ultimate.

James E. McGirt

1906

Success

mrbot — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 21:10:06 +0000

Success is a light upon the farther shore,
That shines in dazzling splendor to the eye,
The waters leap, the surging billows roar,
And he who seeks the prize must leap and try.
A mighty host stand trembling on the brink,
With anxious eyes they yearn to reach the goal.
I see them, leap, and, ah! I see them sink—
As gazing on, dread horror fills my soul!
Yet to despair I can but droop and die,
'Tis better far to try the lashing deep.
I much prefer beneath the surge to lie,
Than dearth to find me on this bank asleep.

James E. McGirt

1906