Foolin’ Wid de Seasons
Seems lak folks is mighty curusIn de way dey t’inks an’ ac’s.Dey jes’ spen’s dey days a-mixin’Up de t’ings in almanacs.Now, I min’ my nex’ do’ neighbour,—He’s a mighty likely man,But he nevah t’inks o’ nuffin‘Ceptin’ jes’ to plot an’ plan.
All de wintah he was plannin’How he ‘d gethah sassafrasJes’ ez soon ez evah SpringtimePut some greenness in de grass.An’ he ‘lowed a little soonahHe could stan’ a coolah breezeSo ‘s to mek a little moneyF’om de sugah-watah trees.
In de summah, he ‘d be waihin’Out de linin’ of his soul,Try ‘n’ ca’ci’late an’ fashionHow he ‘d git his wintah coal;An’ I b’lieve he got his jedgementJes’ so tuckahed out an’ thinnedDat he t’ought a robin’s whistleWas de whistle of de wind.
Why won’t folks gin up dey plannin’,An’ jes’ be content to knowDat dey ‘s gittin’ all dat’s fu’ demIn de days dat come an’ go?Why won’t folks quit movin’ forrard?Ain’t hit bettah jes’ to stan’An’ be satisfied wid livin’In de season dat ‘s at han’?
Hit ‘s enough fu’ me to listenW’en de birds is singin’ ‘roun’,‘Dout a-guessin’ whut ‘ll happenW’en de snow is on de groun’.In de Springtime an’ de summah,I lays sorrer on de she’f;An’ I knows ol’ Mistah WintahGwine to hustle fu’ hisse’f.
We been put hyeah fu’ a pu’pose,But de questun dat has rizAn’ made lots o’ people diffahIs jes’ whut dat pu’pose is.Now, accordin’ to my reas’nin’,Hyeah’s de p’int whaih I ‘s arriv,Sence de Lawd put life into us,We was put hyeah fu’ to live!