Social Commentaries

Cotch Donkey

by Claude McKay 1889–1948

From Constab Ballads (1912)

Social Commentaries

Ko how de jackass
Lay do’n in de road;
An’ him ondly car’
Little bit o’ load.

Kue, jackass, git up!
’Tan’ up ’pon you’ foot!
Dis ya load no load,
You’s a lazy brut’.

Me no know wha’ mek
Pa won’ swop you too;
For dere’s not a t’ing
Wut while you can do.

Ef you car’ no load,
It is all de same;
Hamper on or no,
’Tis de ushal game.

Póliceman a come
Fe go mek a row,
All because o’ you
Wid you’ wutless now.

“See ya, Sah, no min’,
Dis a fe me luck;
De jackass is bad,
Him no wan’ fe wuk.

“‘Tekde hamper off?’
Him no hab no cut:
Me deh tell you say
De jackass no wut.

“Lard! me Gahd o’ me!
Him got one lee ’cratch:
Dat is not’in’, Sah,
For him always cotch.

Do, Sah, let me off,
Ef fe te-day one;
For a no de ’cratch
Cause him fe lay do’n.”

Now because o’ you
Dem gone bring me up;
An’ wha’ hu’t me mos’,
You caan’ wuk a tup.

Ef dem summons me,
Mek me pay few mac,
Dat caan’ mek me ’top
Wuk you wid sore back.

MLA

McKay, Claude. “Cotch Donkey.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/mckay/87/.

Chicago

McKay, Claude. “Cotch Donkey.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/mckay/87/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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