Warm Babies

I just thought I would post another page from the old 1930 scrap book that was given me. The pages are all yellow and brittle but I still enjoy reading it. This poem was written by a black man years ago.

Warm Babies

Note: When a negro preacher with imagination and poetic license sets out to deliver a sermon, especially if there be fire involved, he makes things hot. Keith Preston has caught the spirit of the theme and rendered it in true "Negro" style.

Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego, Walked in the furnace to and 'fro.

Hay foot, straw foot, fro and' to - an' the flame an' the smoke flared up de flue.

Nebuchadnezzar he listen some, and hear 'em talk, an' he say,"How come?"

An' he hear 'em walk, and he say."How so? Dem babies was hawg tied an hour ago!"

Then Shadrach call, in a uppity way, "A little more heat or we ain gwine stay!"

An Meseach bawl, so dat furnace shake: Lanlawd, heat! fo' de good Lawd's sake.

Abednego yell wid a loud "kerchoo -Is you out to freeze us, y' great big Jew?"

Nebuchadnezzear, he rare and ramp, An' call to his janitor, "You big black scamp

Shake dem clinkers an' spen' dat coal! I'll bake dem birds, ef I goes in de hole."

He puts on de draf an' he shuts de door, so the furnace glow and de chimbly roar.

Ol' Nebubuchadnezzar, he smole a smile, "Guess lat'll hold 'em " says he ,"one while."

Then Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego, Walk on de hot coals to an' fro,

An holler out fo' a mite mo' heat - Gulp dem cinders like chicken meat.

Ol' Nebuchadnezzar gives up de fight: He open dat door an' he bow perlite.

He shade his eyes from the glare infernal , an' he say to Abednego, "Step out colonel."

An' he add, "Massa Shadrach, I hopes you all - wont be huffy at me a'tall.

Then Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego, hay foot, straw foot, three in a row

Stepped right smart from dat oven door, Jes' as good as they wuz before,

An' far as Nebchadnezzar could find, Jes' as good as they was behind.

-Keith Preston