Expectation

You 'll be wonderin' whut 's de reason

I 's a grinnin' all de time,

An' I guess you t'ink my sperits

Mus' be feelin' mighty prime.

Well, I 'fess up, I is tickled

As a puppy at his paws.

But you need n't think I's crazy,

I ain' laffin' 'dout a cause.

You's a wonderin' too, I reckon,

Why I does n't seem to eat,

An' I notice you a lookin'

Lak you felt completely beat

When I 'fuse to tek de bacon,

An' don' settle on de ham.

Don' you feel no feah erbout me,

Jes' keep eatin', an' be ca'm.

Fu' I's waitin' an' I's watchin'

'Bout a little t'ing I see—

D' othah night I's out a walkin'

An' I passed a 'simmon tree.

Now I's whettin' up my hongry,

An' I's laffin' fit to kill,

Fu' de fros' done turned de 'simmons,

An' de possum 's eat his fill.

He done go'ged hisse'f owdacious,

An' he stayin' by de tree!

Don' you know, ol' Mistah Possum

Dat you gittin' fat fu' me?

'T ain't no use to try to 'spute it,

'Case I knows you's gittin' sweet

Wif dat 'simmon flavoh thoo you,

So I's waitin' fu' yo' meat.

An' some ebenin' me an Towsah

Gwine to come an' mek a call,

We jes' drap in onexpected

Fu' to shek yo' han', dat's all.

Oh, I knows dat you 'll be tickled,

Seems lak I kin see you smile,

So pu'haps I mought pu'suade you

Fu' to visit us a while.