ADMONITIONS

My mother said to me,

"Try to be good.

Keep your belongings

Neat as you should,

Say your prayers daily

Before you sleep,

And make no promise

You cannot keep."

My black mammy said to me,

"Thirteen's bad.

Let it alone,

Or you'll wish. you had,

Never cut yo' vittles

Wid a black-handled knife,

An' doan kill a spider.

Hit's de debbil's wife."

Seldom I'm good

For virtue's sake,

And many's the promise

 I've made to break

But I shun thirteen

And a black-handled knife,

And I couldn't kill a spider

To save my life.

-Margaret Bell Houston