With at least 300 pages of letters to sort through, it was very hard to decide on the very small number of passages to select as found poetry. In this letter from George Little, I was struck by how human beings were lumped together with sheep and wool as commodities. That was the reason I selected this passage. It was a few years after completing this selection that I discovered why “nothing sells so well as wool”, as seen in the next poem, “Exchange of Goods.” The image above is from a photograph of a house reported to be the Carlisle, England birthplace of the Little brothers. George Little's Letter can be read in it's entirety below.
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“Turn Sinner, Turn, O” The song lyrics incorporated in this poem are from "Turn Sinner, Turn, O." Once again, I have not been able to find a recording of this song. The music can be found on page 36 of Slave Songs of the United States. The full lyrics as collected in SSUS follow:
TURN, SINNER, TURN O! 1. Turn, sinner, turn to-day, Turn sinner, turn O! Turn, sinner, turn to-day, Turn, sinner, turn O! 2. Turn, O sinner, de worl' da gwine, Turn, sinner, turn O! Turn, O sinner, de worl' da gwine, Turn, sinner, turn O! 3. Wait not for tomorrow's sun, Turn, sinner, turn O! Wait not for tomorrow's sun, Turn, sinner, turn O! 4. Tomorrow's sun will sure to shine, Turn, sinner, turn O! Tomorrow's sun will sure to shine, Turn, sinner, turn O! 5. The sun may shine, but on your grave, Turn, sinner, turn O! The sun may shine, but on your grave, Turn, sinner, turn O! 6. Hark! I hear dem sinner say, Turn, sinner, turn O! Hark! I hear dem sinner say, Turn, sinner, turn O! 7 If you get to heaven I'll get there too, Turn, sinner, turn O! If you get to heaven I'll get there too, Turn, sinner, turn O! 8. O sinner, you make mistake, Turn, sinner, turn O! O sinner, you make mistake, Turn, sinner, turn O! 9. While de lamp hold out to burn, Turn, sinner, turn O! While de lamp hold out to burn, Turn, sinner, turn O! 10. De wile' sinner may return, Turn, sinner, turn O! De wile' sinner may return, Turn, sinner, turn O! The following words are sung to the same tune: 1 Bro' Joe, you ought to know my name--Hallelujah. 2 My name is written in de book ob life. 3 If you look in de book you'll fin' 'em dar. 4 One mornin' I was a walkin' down. 5 I saw de berry a-hinging down. 6 (Lord) I pick de berry, an' I suck de juice. 7 Jes' as sweet as de honey in de comb. 8 I wonder where fader Jimmy gone. 9 My fader gone to de yonder worl'. 10 You dig de spring dat nebber dry. 11 De more I dig 'em, de water spring. 12 De water spring dat nebber dry.