Paul Laurence Dunbar: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Opportunity

Paul Laurence Dunbar

“Opportunity” as printed in The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1913).

Paul Laurence Dunbar: Collected Lyrics Text 74 1913 · historical text
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Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

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CuriosityThe Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbarby Paul Laurence DunbarOpportunityPuttin' The Baby Away→

GRANNY'S gone a-visitin',

Seen huh git huh shawl

W'en I was a-hidin' down

Hime de gyahden wall.

Seen huh put her bonnet on,

Seen huh tie de strings,

An' I'se gone to dreamin' now

'Bout dem cakes an' t'ings.

On de she'f behime de do'--

Mussy, wat a feas'!

Soon ez she gits out o' sight,

I kin eat in peace.

I bin watchin' fu' a week

Des fu' dis hyeah chance.

Mussy, w'en I gits in daih,

I'll des sholy dance.

Lemon pie an' gingah-cake,

Let me set an' t'ink--

Vinegah an' sugah, too,

Dat'll mek a drink;

Ef dey's one t'ing dat I loves

Mos' pu'ticlahly,

It is eatin' sweet t'ings an'

A-drinkin' Sangaree.

Lawdy, won' po' granny raih

W'en she see de she'f;

W'en I t'ink erbout huh face,

I's mos' 'shamed myse'f.

Well, she gone, an 'hyeah I is,

Back behime de do'--

Look hyeah! Gran' 's done 'spected me,

Dain't no sweets no mo'.

Evah sweet is hid erway,

Job des done up brown;

Pusson t'ink dat someun t'ought

Dey was t'eves erroun';

Dat des breaks my heart in two,

Oh how bad I feel!

Des to t'ink my own gramma

B'lieved dat I 'u'd steal!

Credits

Written by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Words by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Historical text published in The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1913); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1913), “Opportunity”

Every text in this collected edition is by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906); his works entered the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions in 1977, and the 1913 edition is in the public domain in the United States. The edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

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Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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