Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DE OLE SEXTON, by BELLE RICHARDSON HARRISON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DE OLE SEXTON, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Brudder amos is de sexton
Last Line: It am nebber gwine ter fail.
Subject(s): African Americans; Future Life; Sin; Negroes; American Blacks; Retribution; Eternity; After Life


BRUDDER Amos is de sexton
An' rings de Zion bell,
To warn de saints an' sinners
Dat destruction leads to hell.

He's de bass an' tenor singer,
An' kin beat de frogs in June;
Fur at all distracted meetin's
He's de fust ter h'ist de chune.

Oh, his mouf it wucks on hinges,
He kin sing de hymn book fru,
When he leads de people follows
Like de sheeps de shepherd do.

When he prays er pra'r fur sinners
He kin e'enmost raise de roof;
You kin hear de shingles rattle
When he frunders out de troof

How de debbil on de steeple
Knows jess whar de wicked sit,
Ef dey don't min' out he'll cotch 'em
Jess as shore ez holy writ.

"Don't you see his white teef shinin',
An' his red eyes snappin' 'roun?
An' he's grinnin' like er possum
On de sinners dat he's foun'.

"When he jumps down 'mongst dese benches
Den de wool an' fur will fly,
So repent uv all yore meanness,
Or he'll git you by-um-by."

Oh, dis good ole anglo sexton
Is er bright an' shinin' light,
An' he'll shout right inter Glory
Jess like Enock tuck his flight.

Den de gates will swing wide open,
An' de angels dey will sing,
"Here comes Amos, de ole sexton,
Let der harps an' timbers ring.

"Here's de crown awaitin', Amos,
Hang yore hat up on er nail;"
Fur de promise ter de righteous,
It am nebber gwine ter fail.





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