Slow de night 's a-fallin', 
An' I hyeah de callin, 
Out erpon de lonesome hill; 
Soun' is moughty dreary, 
Solemn-lak an' skeery, 
Sayin' fu' to 'whip po' Will.' 
 
Now hit 's moughty tryin', 
Fu' to hyeah dis cryin', 
'Deed hit 's mo' den I kin stan'; 
Sho' wid all our slippin', 
Dey 's enough of whippin' 
'Dout a bird a'visin' any man. 
 
In de noons o' summah 
Dey 's anothah hummah 
Sings anothah song instid; 
An' his th'oat 's a-swellin' 
Wid de joy o' tellin', 
But he says dat 'Katy did.' 
 
Now I feels onsuhtain; 
Won't you raise de cu'tain 
Ovah all de ti'ngs dat 's hid? 
W'y dat feathahed p'isen 
Goes erbout a-visin' 
Whippin' Will w'en Katy did?
Paul Laurence Dunbar
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/whip-poor-will-and-katy-did/