Dat Tom, he allers want ter know
All ’bout de things he see;
I neber could remember ha’f
Ob what he done as’ me.
He see dem posts down by de road,
Wid wires stretch ercrost,
En ast me why dem wires wus
Hung dar from post ter post.
I tell him den, de bes’ I kin,
Dat dey wus made to sen’
De news ercrost, so men kin heah
Frum dey fur absent frien’.
He stan’ en gaze en gaze on dem
In his onquirin’ way;
Den: “How de news git roun dem posts?”
Dat stupid nigger say.

He sho ain’t got de sense ter know
(De good fo’ nothin’ scamp!)
Dat des ter meet dat obstickle
We got de postage stamp.