Dis, dat an' tutter : poems / Elliot Blaine Henderson [electronic text]

Pawson Locus Visits Sistah Tootles.

Howdy sistah Tootles! Ah's jes' er passin' by. Thought I'd kindah drap in Let yo' kno' revival's nigh. Hain't seed yo' out to meetin', Ner Deacon Tootles needer, Yo' know ah miss yo' all Kaze yo's so good er stawtin' meeter.

How's de ol' fo'ks an' de chillen? Tell me how dey's gittin' long, When yo' doan come out to meetin' Ah knows dey am sumpin' wrong. How's de ol' man's roomertism, How's his gout, his corns an' chills? Seems dis whole big human famly Mus' hab some de aches an' ills.

Well ah guess it's bes' to hab 'em Kaze de Lawd he had 'em too. So we jes' well keep on trus'in' An' ah guess he'll fotch us froo, Paul he had 'em, good ol' Lijah, Moses an' de res' de flock But dey kep' dey loots er trompin' On de good ol' Zion's rock.

Doan' yo' kno' good Sistah Tootles, Ah's had trials dat prick'd lak thorns. An' I'd git so glum an' muddled, Wished I'd nobbah done been born, When de fus' ting dat I'd knows ob Some good Sistah jes' lak yo', Would fotch 'roun' er great big Possum, sich stuff An' er chicken er two.

Den right dah mah burden drapp'd off An' mah soul got light ez air An' yo' good ol' pawson, honey Was widout an' ache er care. Well sah! ef hyar hain't de Deacon, Deed it dooz mah soul delight, Jes' er gittin ready am yo', Fo' to stawt out, well dat's right. Man mus' earn his bread an' butter In de perspire ob his brow, Diggin' tayters, wheelin' Turnips, makin' out ah guess some how.

Hope yo'll make er lots ob money, Sabe de Pawson li'l' bit, Kose yo' knows de Bible pintly Says dis one ring, not fo'git. Good day Deacon, trus' de Lawd sah! An' he'll fotch yo' froo alright, Ah'll pray some too Fo' yo' bruddah, fo' ah goes To bed tonight.

Am dat Rastus? Come hyar sonny He am jes' de spit ob yo'. Got er head lak Bookah Wash'ton Make er preechah ob him too, Yo' bin in de lasses, hain't yo? Stealin' shoogah rum yo' mammy. Yo's jes' up de same ol' trixins Lak dat boy ob mine call'd Sammy.

An' dah's Sukie, come hyar honey Come an' shake de Pawson's hand. Siss yo's got de sweetes' chillen In mah Sabbath schoolin' band.

See hyar siss, yo's lookin' splendid! Yo' keeps gittin' better lookin' Yo' jes' lak some peert young lassy, Why doan' yo' hab yo' picter tookin'? Ah jes' wish yo' wasn't married Ah jes' wish yo' wasn't too, I'd jes' gwine an' forth de papers We'd git married Dat's whut we'd do.

Siss yo' wouldn't hab No 'jecTions would yo' Ef sich was de case? Yo' am jes' de kine ob Sistah Fo' to be in sich er place. Yo' kin sing all kind of meeters, Yo' kin pray lak sixty, too Dey hain't nuffin' in church tactics Dat mah Sistah yo' kain't do.

Kose ol' Betsy she still totes roun' An' fo' years we's been togeddah, But ah tell yo' Sistah Tooties, She am 'trary ez Ruff weddah, She's so jealous, an' She's got so dat she frows Flat irons at me, Ebbry time ah's got er 'pinion Dat wiff her doan' 'zackly 'gree.

Tings am gittin' too prekyaress Ah kain't stand de ting er tall, Why she shubb'd me in de fiah place Kaze ah mentioned Sistah Gaul. Kose ah nat'ly laks de Sistah's 'Zacly lak de Lawd intended An' ah isn't gwine to slight 'em Doan' kyar how she gits offended, But ah guess yo's got er nuff troubles Wiffout hyarin' mah tales an' woes, Kaze ah got mo' fo' to mention Den ah's in mah shack got clothes.

See hyar sistah Tootles, Ah's jes' tellin' Bruddah Bryahs Dat he oddah tas'e yo' cookin' Yo's de bes' cook in de choirs, Dey hain't no use er tawkin' Fum Sally down to Mandy, When it comes to ol' time cookin' Dey hain't no one lak yo' handy.

No ah tank yo' mah good sistah, Ah regrets ah kain't sot down, Kose yo' knows ahs lots ob visits Fo' to make erbout de town. Some de sistahs will git jealous Ef de Pawson doan' call 'roun' So ah mus' keep rings harmonious Ef ah specs to stay in town.

Ah jes' had er minute sistah, But to yo' mah specs mus' make. Sis whut's dat er sotin' yondah? Am dat some dat ol' poun' cake? Look lak somepun's boun' to happen Fo' to make me late some how, Sistah skewze mah fernal bruppness Jes' er slice ob dat right now.

Ah mus' say ah jes' kain't he'p it Yo's de bes' ermong mah sheep. Oh fo' Gawd sakes! Sistah Tootles, Hain't yo' gwine to some dat keep? Umph! Yo' sholy lubbs yo' Pawson Yo's done proved dat ting, ah kno' Mah times up, ah knows, good sistah But it seems ah jes' kain't go.

Whut yo' gwine to do now Sistah?. Fetch some possum? Whut yo' say, Look er hyar de way yo's fixin' Ah woan' git erway to day, Kose yo' hain't ergwine to 'sult me Fotch whut ebbah dah yo's got, Hain't yo' got er few dem chittlins Kinder steemin' in de pot?

Hab yo'? Mah sakes Sistah Tootles Dis am bettah den revival, Dis am gospul, dis hain't flattah Dey's no one dat am yo' rival. Doan' git angry wiff yo' Pawson, Ah doan' mean no 'fense er tall, Ah jes' feels jes' lak one ob yo' Ebbry time ah makes er call.

Had no idea dat ahs gwine to Hab sich sprizes 'frust on me Seems de Lawd am 'tinually boun' to Rain sich manna down on me, Hope 'twill allus be er rainin' Ef sich stuff ez dis comes down, Ah hain't tickler 'bout no Mansion, 'bout no robe Ner 'bout no crown.

What's dat clock er tickin' sistah? Seben, er lebben? Ah mus' go! Wrap up somefun fo' de Pawson Kaze termorrow ah'll eat some mo'.