Mr. Tambo, Mr. Bones the mime wears whiteface

by Jack Foley

Is it possible
How do you do, Mr. Tambo
that the man in blackface
Oh, Mr. Bones,
in a minstrel show
I been having
(in addition to being
the most
a deeply racist
awfulest
metaphor)
of times
was also
You see,
an American mime —
My wife lef me
a version
Yo wife lef you, Mr. Tambo
of a European figure
You mus be
that was pure
Saaaad about that
Fantasy
I guess you loved her quite a bit
No one believed
No, sah, I didn’t even like her
the mime
But if you didn’t like her,
to be a representation
Mr. Tambo,
of any reality
how come you say

other than the
you got d awfulest
reality
of times ?
of art

The downfall
Well,
of the minstrel
Mr. Bones,
man
she not only lef me
was the admission
she lef me wid d rent!
not of reality
Mr. Tambo,
but of racist fantasy
yo sho is
into an
a disgustipated
otherwise
man

purely
I is, Mr. Bones,

fantastic
but can you lend me

creation
five ?

Note:  Mr. Tambo and Mr. bones were regular features of American minstrel shows.