Da Leetla Boy

DA spreeng ees com’! but oh, da joy

Eet ees too late!

He was so cold, my leetla boy,

He no could wait.

I no can count how manny week,

How manny day, dat he ees seeck;

How manny night I seet an’ hold

Da leetla hand dat was so cold.

He was so patience, oh, so sweet!

Eet hurts my throat for theenk of eet;

An’ all he evra ask ees w’en

Ees gona com’ da spreeng agen.

Wan day, wan brighta sunny day,

He see, across da alleyway,

Da leetla girl dat’s livin’ dere

Ees raise her window for da air,

An’ put outside a leetla pot

Of—w’at-you-call?—forgat-me-not.

So smalla flower, so leetla theeng!

But steell eet mak’ hees hearta seeng:

“Oh, now, at las’, ees com’ da spreeng!

Da leetla plant ees glad for know

Da sun ees com’ for mak’ eet grow.

So, too, I am grow warm and strong.”

So lika dat he seeng hees song.

But, Ah! da night com’ down an’ den

Da weenter ees sneak back agen,

An’ een da alley all da night

Ees fall da snow, so cold, so white,

An’ cover up da leetla pot

Of—wa’t-you-call?—forgat-me-not.

All night da leetla hand I hold

Ees grow so cold, so cold, so cold!

Da spreeng ees com’; but oh, da joy

Eet ees too late!

He was so cold, my leetla boy,

He no could wait.