Living
A Plea
Treat me nice, Miss Mandy Jane,
Treat me nice.
Dough my love has tu'ned my brain,
Treat me nice.
I ain't done a t'ing to shame,
Lovahs all ac's jes' de same;
Don't you know we ain't to blame?
Treat me nice!
Cose I know I 's talkin' wild;
Treat me nice;
I cain't talk no bettah, child,
Treat me nice;
Whut a pusson gwine to do,
Wen he come a-cou'tin' you
All a-trimblin' thoo and thoo?
Please be nice.
Reckon I mus' go de paf
Othahs do:
Lovahs lingah, ladies laff;
Mebbe you
Do' mean all the things you say,
An' pu'haps some latah day
W'en I baig you ha'd, you may
Treat me nice!
Cite this poem
MLA
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “A Plea.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/paul-laurence-dunbar/224/.
Chicago
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “A Plea.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/paul-laurence-dunbar/224/.
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