Living

Johnny Speaks

by Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872–1906

Living

The sand-man he's a jolly old fellow,
His face is kind and his voice is mellow,
But he makes your eyelids as heavy as lead,
And then you got to go off to bed;
I don't think I like the sand-man.

But I've been playing this livelong day;
It does make a fellow so tired to play!
Oh, my, I'm a-yawning right here before ma,
I'm the sleepiest fellow that ever you saw.
I think I do like the sand-man.

MLA

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “Johnny Speaks.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/paul-laurence-dunbar/322/.

Chicago

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “Johnny Speaks.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/paul-laurence-dunbar/322/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Paul Laurence Dunbar