Whip-Poor-Will And Katy-Did

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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?

© Paul Laurence Dunbar