| James Weldon Johnson, ed. (1871–1938). The Book of American Negro Poetry. 1922. |
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| An Indignation Dinner |
| | | James D. Corrothers |
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| DEY was hard times jes fo’ Christmas round our neighborhood one year; | |
| So we held a secret meetin’, whah de white folks couldn’t hear, | |
| To ’scuss de situation, an’ to see what could be done | |
| Towa’d a fust-class Christmas dinneh an’ a little Christmas fun. | |
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| Rufus Green, who called de meetin’, ris an’ said: “In dis here town, | 5 |
| An’ throughout de land, de white folks is a-tryin’ to keep us down.” | |
| S’ ’e: “Dey’s bought us, sold us, beat us; now dey ’buse us ’ca’se we’s free; | |
| But when dey tetch my stomach, dey’s done gone too fur foh me! | |
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| “Is I right?” “You sho is, Rufus!” roared a dozen hungry throats. | |
| “Ef you’d keep a mule a-wo’kin’, don’t you tamper wid his oats. | 10 |
| Dat’s sense,” continued Rufus. “But dese white folks nowadays | |
| Has done got so close and stingy you can’t live on what dey pays. | |
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| “Here ’tis Christmas-time, an’, folkses, I’s indignant ’nough to choke. | |
| Whah’s our Christmas dinneh comin’ when we’s ’mos’ completely broke? | |
| I can’t hahdly ’fo’d a toothpick an’ a glass o’ water. Mad? | 15 |
| Say, I’m desp’ret! Dey jes better treat me nice, dese white folks had!” | |
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| Well, dey ’bused de white folks scan’lous, till old Pappy Simmons ris, | |
| Leanin’ on his cane to s’pote him, on account his rheumatis’, | |
| An’ s’ ’e: “Chilun, whut’s dat wintry wind a-sighin’ th’ough de street | |
| ’Bout yo’ wasted summeh wages? But, no matter, we mus’ eat. | 20 |
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| “Now, I seed a beau’ful tuhkey on a certain gemmun’s fahm. | |
| He’s a-growin’ fat an’ sassy, an’ a-struttin’ to a chahm. | |
| Chickens, sheeps, hogs, sweet pertaters—all de craps is fine dis year; | |
| All we needs is a committee foh to tote de goodies here.” | |
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| Well, we lit right in an’ voted dat it was a gran idee, | 25 |
| An’ de dinneh we had Christmas was worth trabblin’ miles to see; | |
| An’ we eat a full an’ plenty, big an’ little, great an’ small, | |
| Not beca’se we was dishonest, but indignant, sah. Dat’s all. | |
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