A Black Man Smiles.

By Lloyd Dolen

Way back in South Virginia
Where the cotton blooms and grow
There grew a little black boy
With teeth as white as snow.
His parents were in slavery
Back in those early days,
Till Lincoln changed the system
And the slaves all moved away.
This boy became a house boy
Like colored boys had been,
And they landed in Alberta
Way back in about Thirteen.
They headed north from Cochrane
Where a homestead they found,
And folks learned to know
This black boy,
He was the only one around.
They learned to know and like him
He was happy as a lark,
His heart was white,
His blood was red.
But his skin was a little dark.
He grew up with the country,
And folk were soon to know
He was ready with a helping hand
From the Dog Pound to the Bow.
He made his home in Cochrane
And folks were proud to say,
"Good morning to you Dewey,
It is a lovely day."
And his eyes would kind of sparkle,
His teeth would flash like snow
When he would talk to little children
And wonda how they grow.
But the clock ticks slowly onward
And Dewey's gone away.
But here he is a legend
And we’re all proud to say
"A Black Man Smiles." [1605]