A Recalled Prayer Poem by Raymond Garfield Dandridge

Sis Hannah May Liza, so Emphraim sayed,
Stole out 'neaf a sycamo' tree an' prayed
To de Lawd in Hebbin, an' she ast dat He
W'u'd please sen' her a man fo' company.

Her prayah wuz answered; fo' a week wen' 'roun',
De Arch Decon Mordecai Joshua Brown
Ast Sis Hannah w'u'den she share his lot,
His boss an' his buggy, his boa'd an' his cot.

Straight away she etcepted, an' soon dey wor wed,
'Fo' bettah or wussah' de preachah man sed;
An' Hannah wuz happy, she thot dat she knowed
She had a reel he'p-mate to he'p tote de load.

De honeymoon riz, den it sot in its tracks,
W'en Hannah, po' Hannah, 'gan gazin on facks.
De bank book he flourished wuz long ovahdrawn,
An' paymint wuz jue on de close he had on.

De hoss an' de buggy, he ast her to share,
Belonged to his boss-man (Jedge Hinton Sinclair).
His boa'd an' his cot she foun' meagah an' slim,
In fack, his 'hole lot wuzen nuthin' 'cept him.

Den Probitshun cut Jedge's dockit so low
He foun' hisse'f forced to let Mordecai go;
An' seemed dar wuz nary one else roun' de town
Dat had wuk quite suited to Mordecai Brown.

Meanw'ile, Hannah labahed, bofe early an' late,
W'ile Mordecai armed wid pipe, pole an' bait,
Sot down by de ribbah, or loafed in de shade,
Or stood lookin' on w'ile de checkahs wuz played.

Et Barbah Shop sessions he'd freely discuss
Shakespeare, League ob Nations, Stock Markit an' Truss;
Et Church or Class Meetin', comman' in' de flo',
He'd tell ob God's Glory whar man's wuk is o'.

His appetite waxed, an' his drowsiness grew,
'Till eatin' an' sleepin' wuz all he w'u'd do.
Bofe meal time an' bed time he met wid a vim,
But all uddah labahs proved strangahs to him.

Enste'd ob he'p light'nin' po' Sis Hannah's load,
De Decon klum up on her burden an' rode.
Once mo', she stole out, 'near de varie same tree,
An' prayed, 'Lawd, please Lawdy! taik dat man frum me.'