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Lyrics of Love and Laughter

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

To the Eastern Shore

Additional Information
  • Year Published: 1913
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States of America
  • Source: Dunbar, P.L. (1913). The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company.
  • Readability:
    • Flesch–Kincaid Level: 6.5
  • Word Count: 346
  • Genre: Poetry
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I ’s feelin’ kin’ o’ lonesome in my little room to–night,
An’ my min ’s done los’ de minutes an’ de miles,
Wile it teks me back a–flyin’ to de country of delight,
Whaih de Chesapeake goes grumblin’ er wid smiles.

Oh, de ol’ plantation ’s callin’ to me, Come, come back,
Hyeah ’s de place fu’ you to labouh an’ to res’,
‘Fu my sandy roads is gleamin’ w’ile de city ways is black;
Come back, honey, case yo’ country home is bes’.
I know de moon is shinin’ down erpon de Eastern sho’,
An’ de bay ’s a–sayin’ “Howdy” to de lan’;
An’ de folks is all a–settin’ out erroun’ de cabin do’,
Wid dey feet a–restin’ in de silvah san’;

An’ de ol’ plantation ’s callin’ to me, Come, oh, come,
F’om de life dat ’s des’ a–waihin’ you erway,
F’om de trouble an’ de bustle, an’ de agernizin’ hum
Dat de city keeps ergoin’ all de day.
I ’s tiahed of de city, tek me back to Sandy Side,
Whaih de po’est ones kin live an’ play an’ eat;
Whaih we draws a simple livin’ f’om de fo’est an’ de tide,
An’ de days ah faih, an’ evah night is sweet.

Fu’ de ol’ plantation ’s callin’ to me, Come, oh, come.
An’ de Chesapeake ’s a–sayin’ “Dat’s de t’ing,”
W’ile my little cabin beckons, dough his mouf is closed an’ dumb,
I ’s a–comin, an’ my hea’t begins to sing.