Relationships

You's Sweet to Yo' Mammy Jes de Same

by James Weldon Johnson 1871–1938

From Fifty Years & Other Poems (1917): Jingles & Croons

Relationships

Shet yo' eyes, ma little pickaninny, go to sleep
Mammy's watchin' by you all de w'ile;
Daddy is a-wukin' down in de cott'n fiel',
Wukin' fu' his little honey child.
An' yo' mammy's heart is jes a-brimmin' full o' lub
Fu' you f'om yo' head down to yo' feet;
Oh, no mattah w'at some othah folks may t'ink o' you,
To yo' mammy's heart you's mighty sweet.

You's sweet to yo' mammy jes de same;
Dat's why she calls you Honey fu' yo' name.
Yo' face is black, dat's true,
An' yo' hair is woolly, too,
But, you's sweet to yo' mammy jes de same.

Up der in de big house w'ere dey lib so rich an' gran'
Dey's got chillen dat dey lubs, I s'pose;
Chillen dat is purty, oh, but dey can't lub dem mo'
Dan yo' mammy lubs you, heaben knows!

Dey may t'ink you's homely, an' yo' clo'es dey may be po',
But yo' shinin' eyes, dey hol's a light
Dat, my Honey, w'en you opens dem so big an' roun',
Makes you lubly in yo' mammy's sight.

MLA

Johnson, James Weldon. “You's Sweet to Yo' Mammy Jes de Same.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/johnson_jw/49/.

Chicago

Johnson, James Weldon. “You's Sweet to Yo' Mammy Jes de Same.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/johnson_jw/49/.

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