Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ANSWER TO PRAYER, by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ANSWER TO PRAYER, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Der ain't no use in sayin' de lawd won't answer / prah
Last Line: Night.
Subject(s): Christmas; Jesus Christ; Prayer; Religion; Worship; Nativity, The; Theology


Der ain't no use in sayin' de Lawd won't answer
prah;
If you knows how to ax Him, I knows He's
bound to heah.

De trouble is, some people don't ax de proper
way,
Den w'en dey git's no answer dey doubts de use
to pray.

You got to use egzac'ly de 'spressions an' de
words
To show dat 'tween yo' faith an' works, you
'pends on works two-thirds.

Now, one time I remember — jes how long
I won't say —
I thought I'd like a turkey to eat on Chris'mus
day.

Fu' weeks I dreamed 'bout turkeys, a-struttin'
in der pride;
But seed no way to get one — widout de Lawd
pervide.

An' so I went to prayin', I pray'd wid all my
might;
"Lawd, sen' to me a turkey." I pray'd bofe
day an' night.

"Lawd, sen' to me a turkey, a big one if you
please."
I 'clar to heaben I pray'd so much I mos' wore
out ma knees.

I pray'd dat prah so often, I pray'd dat prah so
long,
Yet didn't git no turkey, I know'd 'twas sump'n
wrong.

So on de night 'fore Chris'mus w'en I got down
to pray,
"Lawd, sen' me to a turkey," I had de sense
to say.

"Lawd, sen' me to a turkey." I know dat prah
was right,
An' it was sholy answer'd; I got de bird dat
night.





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