Slim Greer in Hell

by Sterling¹ A. Brown

    I

    Slim Greer went to heaven；

    St. Peter said， "Slim，

    You been a right good boy."

    An' he winked² at him.

    "You been travelin' rascal³

    In yo'day.

    You kin⁴ roam once mo'；

    Den⁵ you come to stay.

    "Put dese wings on yo' shoulders，

    An' save yo' feet."

    Slim grin， and he speak up，

    "Thankye， Pete."

    Den Peter say， "Go

    To Hell an' see，

    All dat is doing， and

    Report to me.

    "Be sure to remember

    How everything go."

    Slim say， "I be seein' yuh

    On de late watch， bo."

    Slim got to cavortin'

    Swell⁶ as you choose，

    Like Lindy in de Spirit

    Of St. Louis Blues⁷.

    He flew an' he flew，

    Till at last he hit

    A hangar wid de sign readin'

    DIS IS IT.

    Den he parked his wings，

    An' strolled aroun'，

    Gittin' used to his feet

    On de solid ground.

    II

    Big bloodhound came aroarin'

    Like Niagry Falls，

    Sicked on by white devils

    In overhalls.

    Now Slim warn't scared

    Cross my heart， it's a fac'，

    An de dog went on a bayin'

    Some po' devil's track.

    Den Slim saw a mansion⁸

    An' walked right in；

    De Devil looked up

    Wid a sickly grin.

    "Suttingly didn't look

    Fo' you， Mr. Greer，

    How it happens you comes

    To visit here？"

    Slim say——"Oh， jes' thought

    I'd drop by a spell."

    "Feel at home， seh， an' here's

    De keys to hell."

    Den he took Slim around

    An' showed him people

    Rasin' hell as high as

    De first Church Steeple.

    Lots of folks fightin'

    At de roulette wheel，

    Like old Rampart Street，

    Or leastwise Beale.

    Showed him bawdy⁹ houses

    An' cabarets，

    Slim thought of New Orleans

    An' Memphis days.

    Each devil was busy

    Wid a devlish broad，

    An' Slim cried， "Lawdy，

    Lawd， Lawd， Lawd."

    Took him in a room

    Where Slim see

    De preacher wid a brownskin

    On each knee.

    Showed him giant stills，

    Going everywhere，

    Wid a passel of devils

    Stretched dead drunk there.

    Den he took him to de furnace

    Dat some devils was firing，

    Hot as Hell， an' Slim start

    A mean presspirin'.

    White devils with pitchforks

    Threw black devils on，

    Slim thought he'd better

    Be gittin' along.

    An' he says——"Dis makes

    Me think of home——

    Vicksburg， Little Rock， Jackson，

    Waco and Rome."

    Den de devil gave Slim

    De big Ha-Ha；

    An' turned into a cracker¹⁰，

    Wid a sheriff's star.

    Slim ran fo' his wings，

    Lit out from de groun'

    Hauled it back to St. Peter，

    Safety boun'.

    III

    St. Peter said， "Well，

    You got back quick.

    How's de devil？  An' what's

    His latest trick？"

    An' Slim Say， "Peter，

    I really cain't tell，

    The place was Dixie

    That I took for hell."

    Then Peter say， "you must

    Be crazy， I vow¹¹，

    Where'n hell dja think Hell was，

    Anyhow？

    "Git on back to de yearth，

    Cause I got de fear，

    You'se a leetle too dumb，

    Fo' to stay up here. . ."