Claude McKay, "Fe Me Sal" (1912)
Who I t'inkin' of but fe me Sal?
She is eber in me mind, ne'er a better you will find,
She's me only lub, de best o' country gal.
When I started out fe roam from me treasured mountain-home,
All me wanderin's were for her good;
A be'n ondly fe her sake why dis job I undertake,
An' she cheer me when I'm sad an' out o' mood.
Any wuk I'm put to do, me jes' feel she's wid me too,
Biddin' me fe toil bedouten fret;
An' when all de duty's done, an' me go to sleep alone,
'Tis but dreamin' o' me darlin' little pet.
When me deh 'pon station guard, dere is ondly one reward,
For I get fe write her sweet lub-wuds;
Den me finish up her name wid a pile o' flourish dem,
An' me seal de letter up wid jesmy buds.
When me go patrol a day, she's me one lee bit o' stay
As A deh climb up Bardowie hill;
An' A somehow favour know dat, wherever I may go,
Her soul an' heart wi' eber be mine still.
Ef me goin' to de race I'm a-t'inkin' of her face,
An' A feel her shedah at me side;
Ef me eatin' me lee grub, I'm a-t'inkin' o' de lub
Dat me ha' fe her alone so free an' wide.
Udder p'liceman ha' dem gal, but dere's none like fe me Sal,
Dey can neber trus' fe dem like me;
And I needn't eber fear, ef I'm transferred anywhere,
For me Sally is as true as true can be.
She's de darlin' o' me life, an' shall one day be me wife
Jes' as soon as eberyt'ing is ripe;
An' me hab a feelin' strong dat it will not be too long
'Fo' me get fe wear an Acting Corp'ral's stripe.
She's de darlin' o' me heart, an' we'll neber neber part,
She's de prettiest black gal in de wul';
An' whereber you may go you won't find anedder so,
Wid more tender min' an' better sort o' soul.
So de day shall soon arrive when de two o' we shall drive
To de parish church at Half Way Tree:
An' we'll stroll back t'rough de gate, me Sal a corpy's mate,
An' we'll be as happy-happy as can be.
From Constab Ballads, 1912