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Home  »  A Library of American Literature  »  The Old Ship of Zion

Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889

The Old Ship of Zion

By John Alfred Macon (b. 1851)

OH! eb’rything’s ready,—

De wind is steady,

An’ de folks keep a-crowdin’ to de gospel ship;

’Tis de best time to ride

On de Jordan tide—

Dar’s no use o’ waitin’ for the ’scursion trip!

Dey’s a-loosenin’ de line,

An’ soon she’ll be gwine,

For yonder come de deck-hands to push her off de bank;

She’s a-puffin’! she’s a-puffin’!

An’ she nebber waits for nuffin’—

Better git abode, sinners, ’fo’ dey pull in de plank!