---

Claude McKay - Two-An`-Six
Work rating: Low

Merry voices chatterin`,
Nimble feet dem patterin`,
Big an` little, faces gay,
Happy day dis market day.

Sateday, de marnin` break,
Soon, soon market-people wake;
An` de light shine from de moon
While dem boy, wid pantaloon
Roll up ober dem knee-pan,
`Tep across de buccra lan`
To de pastur whe` de harse
Feed along wid de jackass,
An` de mule cant` in de track
Wid him tail up in him back,
All de ketchin` to defy,
No ca` how dem boy might try.

In de early marnin`-tide,
When de cocks crow on de hill
An` de stars are shinin` still,
Mirrie by de fireside
Hots de coffee for de lads
Comin` ridin` on de pads
T`rown across dem animul--
Donkey, harse too, an` de mule,
Which at last had come do`n cool.
On de bit dem hol` dem full:
Racin` ober pastur` lan`,
See dem comin` ebery man,
Comin` fe de steamin` tea
Ober hilly track an` lea.

Hard-wuk`d donkey on de road
Trottin` wid him ushal load,
Hamper pack` wi` yam an` grain,
Sour-sop, and Gub`nor cane.

Cous` Sun sits in hired dray,
Drivin` `long de market way;
Whole week grindin` sugar cane
T`rough de boilin` sun an` rain,
Now, a`ter de toilin` hard,
He goes seekin` his reward,
While he`s thinkin` in him min`
Of de dear ones lef behin`,
Of de loved though ailin` wife,
Darlin` treasure of his life,
An` de picknies, six in all,
Whose `nuff burdens `pon him fall:
Seben lovin` ones in need,
Seben hungry mouths fe feed;
On deir wants he thinks alone,
Neber dreamin` of his own,
But gwin` on wid joyful face
Till him re`ch de market-place.

Sugar bears no price to-day,
Though it is de mont` o` May,
When de time is hellish hot,
An` de water cocoanut
An` de cane bebridge is nice,
Mix` up wid a lilly ice.
Big an` little, great an` small,
Afou yam is all de call;
Sugar tup an` gill a quart,
Yet de people hab de heart
Wantin` brater top o` i`,
Want de sweatin` higgler fe
Ram de pan an` pile i` up,
Yet sell i` fe so-so tup.

Cousin Sun is lookin` sad,
As de market is so bad;
`Pon him han` him res` him chin,
Quietly sit do`n thinkin`
Of de loved wife sick in bed,
An` de children to be fed--
What de laborers would say
When dem know him couldn` pay;
Also what about de mill
Whe` him hire from ole Bill;
So him think, an` think on so,
Till him t`oughts no more could go.

Then he got up an` began
Pickin` up him sugar-pan:
In his ears rang t`rough de din
"Only two-an`-six a tin`."
What a tale he`d got to tell,
How bad, bad de sugar sell!
Tekin` out de lee amount,
Him set do`n an` begin count
All de time him min` deh doubt
How expenses would pay out;
Ah, it gnawed him like de ticks,
Sugar sell fe two-an`-six!

So he journeys on de way,
Feelinl sad dis market day;
No e`en buy a little cake
To gi`e baby when she wake,--
Passin` `long de candy-shop
`Douten eben mek a stop
To buy drops fe las`y son,
For de lilly cash nea` done.
So him re`ch him own a groun`,
An` de children scamper roun`,
Each one stretchin` out him han`,
Lookin` to de poor sad man.

Oh, how much he felt de blow,
As he watched dem face fall low,
When dem wait an` nuttin` came
An` drew back deir han`s wid shame!
But de sick wife kissed his brow:
"Sun, don`t get down-hearted now;
Ef we only pay expense
We mus` wuk we common-sense,
Cut an` carve, an` carve an` cut,
Mek gill sarbe fe quattiewut;
We mus` try mek two ends meet
Neber mind how hard be it.
We won`t mind de haul an` pull,
While dem pickny belly full."

An` de shadow lef` him face,
An` him felt an inward peace,
As he blessed his better part
For her sweet an` gentle heart:
"Dear one o` my heart, my breat`,
Won`t I lub you to de deat`?
When my heart is weak an` sad,
Who but you can mek it glad?"

So dey kissed an` kissed again,
An` deir t`oughts were not on pain,
But was `way down in de sout`
Where dey`d wedded in deir yout`,
In de marnin` of deir life
Free from all de grief an` strife,
Happy in de marnin` light,
Never thinkin` of de night.

So dey k`lated eberyt`ing;
An` de profit it could bring,
A`ter all de business fix`,
Was a princely two-an`-six.
Source
The script ran 0.002 seconds.