< The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar
For works with similar titles, see Long Ago.

LONG AGO

De ol' time's gone, de new time's hyeah
  Wid all hits fuss an' feddahs;
I done fu'got de joy an' cheah
  We knowed all kin's o' weddahs,
I done fu'got each ol'-time hymn
  We ust to sing in meetin';
I 's leahned de prah's, so neat an' trim,
  De preachah keeps us 'peatin'.

Hang a vine by de chimney side,
  An' one by de cabin do';
An' sing a song fu' de day dat died,
  De day of long ergo.

My youf, hit's gone, yes, long ergo,
  An' yit I ain't a-moanin';
Hit 's fu' somet'ings I ust to know
  I set to-night a-honin'.
De pallet on de ol' plank flo',
  De rain bar'l und' de eaves,
De live oak 'fo' de cabin do',
  Whaih de night dove comes an' grieves.

Hang a vine by de chimney side,
  An' one by de cabin do';
An' sing a song fu' de day dat died,
  De day of long ergo.

I 'd lak a few ol' frien's to-night
  To come an' set wid me;
An' let me feel dat ol' delight
  I ust to in dey glee.
But hyeah we is, my pipe an' me,
  Wid no one else erbout;
We bofe is choked ez choked kin be,
  An' bofe 'll soon go out.

Hang a vine by de chimney side,
  An' one by de cabin do';
An' sing a song fu' de day dat died,
  De day of long ergo.

This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

 
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