Pickin Em Up and Layin Em Down Poem by Maya Angelou

Pickin Em Up and Layin Em Down

Rating: 3.7


There's a long-legged girl
in San Francisco
by the Golden Gate.
She said she'd give me all I wanted
but I just couldn't wait.
I started to
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
gettin to the next town
Baby.

There's a pretty brown
in Birmingham.
Boys, she little and cute
but when she like to tied me down
I had to grab my suit and started to
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
getting to the next town
Baby.

I met that lovely Detroit lady
and thought my time had come
But just before I said "I do"
I said "I got to run" and started to
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
getting to the next town
Baby.

There ain't no words for what I feel
about a pretty face
But if I stay I just might miss
a prettier one some place
I started to
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
Pickin em up
and layin em down,
getting to the next town
Baby.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Subhas Chandra Chakra 09 September 2016

There ain't no words for what I feel about a pretty face But if I stay I just might miss a prettier one some place I started to Pickin em up and layin em down, A beautiful poem of its own kind.

19 2 Reply
Sabita Sahoo 20 September 2017

A poem of its own kind, I agree. I started to Pickin em up and layin em down, Thanks for picking us up and down, again and again and again and again and up and down again with your words..

8 0 Reply
Bri Edwards 24 April 2017

Maya's gone (somewhere) but i'm still here, and i'm layin this poem (the 1st and 4th stanza) down on my/our monthly showcase for May for PH poets. There i plan to display one poem [or up to about 25 lines] for each of at least 30 poets, mostly poets on my Friends list on PH, and/or in MyPoemList. Let's let my readers see somethin' of what this lady could do with poetry. If anybody objects, send your complaints to me. She'll get full credit for her work. bri :) to MyPoemList as well.

6 1 Reply
Suresh Kumar Ek 05 September 2020

beautiful poem. we are laying down and then picking up

2 0 Reply
sharon 20 January 2018

i know not / U pick em up and layin em own // / i know not / detroit lady / why did not anyone talk to me // instead of everyone yelling at me and scaring me //i know not//you have a old man that you can trust /you have a love that will last//

4 1 Reply
Subhas Chandra Chakra 09 December 2017

Yes Maya, you are the phenomenal poet of all centuries. Hats Off.

5 0 Reply
Rogelio Guillermo 11 October 2017

This is what a poem should be: just start pickin em up, and layin em down... and so on

4 0 Reply
Anita Aparajita Das 20 September 2017

Pickin em up and layin em down, getting to the next town Baby. nice poem.

7 0 Reply
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