The Book of American Negro Poetry Part 6

No t.i.tle high my father bore; The tenant of thy farm, He left me what I value more: Clean heart, clear brain, strong arm And love for bird and beast and bee And song of lark and hymn of sea, Ride on, young lord, ride on!

The boundless sky to me belongs, The paltry acres thine; The painted beauty sings thy songs, The lavrock lilts me mine; The hot-housed orchid blooms for thee, The gorse and heather bloom for me, Ride on, young lord, ride on!

James D. Corrothers

AT THE CLOSED GATE OF JUSTICE

To be a Negro in a day like this Demands forgiveness. Bruised with blow on blow, Betrayed, like him whose woe dimmed eyes gave bliss Still must one succor those who brought one low, To be a Negro in a day like this.

To be a Negro in a day like this Demands rare patience--patience that can wait In utter darkness. 'Tis the path to miss, And knock, unheeded, at an iron gate, To be a Negro in a day like this.

To be a Negro in a day like this Demands strange loyalty. We serve a flag Which is to us white freedom's emphasis.

Ah! one must love when Truth and Justice lag, To be a Negro in a day like this.

To be a Negro in a day like this-- Alas! Lord G.o.d, what evil have we done?

Still shines the gate, all gold and amethyst, But I pa.s.s by, the glorious goal unwon, "Merely a Negro"--in a day like this!

PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

He came, a youth, singing in the dawn Of a new freedom, glowing o'er his lyre, Refining, as with great Apollo's fire, His people's gift of song. And thereupon, This Negro singer, come to Helicon Constrained the masters, listening to admire, And roused a race to wonder and aspire, Gazing which way their honest voice was gone, With ebon face uplit of glory's crest.

Men marveled at the singer, strong and sweet, Who brought the cabin's mirth, the tuneful night, But faced the morning, beautiful with light, To die while shadows yet fell toward the west, And leave his laurels at his people's feet.

Dunbar, no poet wears your laurels now; None rises, singing, from your race like you.

Dark melodist, immortal, though the dew Fell early on the bays upon your brow, And tinged with pathos every halcyon vow And brave endeavor. Silence o'er you threw Flowerets of love. Or, if an envious few Of your own people brought no garlands, how Could Malice smite him whom the G.o.ds had crowned?

If, like the meadow-lark, your flight was low Your flooded lyrics half the hilltops drowned; A wide world heard you, and it loved you so It stilled its heart to list the strains you sang, And o'er your happy songs its plaudits rang.

THE NEGRO SINGER

O'er all my song the image of a face Lieth, like shadow on the wild sweet flowers.

The dream, the ecstasy that prompts my powers; The golden lyre's delights bring little grace To bless the singer of a lowly race.

Long hath this mocked me: aye in marvelous hours, When Hera's gardens gleamed, or Cynthia's bowers, Or Hope's red pylons, in their far, hushed place!

But I shall dig me deeper to the gold; Fetch water, dripping, over desert miles, From clear Nyanzas and mysterious Niles Of love; and sing, nor one kind act withhold.

So shall men know me, and remember long, Nor my dark face dishonor any song.

THE ROAD TO THE BOW

Ever and ever anon, After the black storm, the eternal, beauteous bow!

Brother, to rosy-painted mists that arch beyond, Blithely I go.

My brows men laureled and my lyre Twined with immortal ivy for one little rippling song; My "House of Golden Leaves" they praised and "pa.s.sionate fire"-- But, Friend, the way is long!

Onward and onward, up! away!

Though Fear flaunt all his banners in my face, And my feet stumble, lo! the Orphean Day!

Forward by G.o.d's grace!

These signs are still before me: "Fear,"

"Danger," "Unprecedented," and I hear black "No"

Still thundering, and "Churl." Good Friend, I rest me here-- Then to the glittering bow!

Loometh and cometh Hate in wrath, Mailed Wrong, swart Servitude and Shame with bitter rue, Nathless a Negro poet's feet must tread the path The winged G.o.d knew.

Thus, my true Brother, dream-led, I Forefend the anathema, following the span.

I hold my head as proudly high As any man.

IN THE MATTER OF TWO MEN

One does such work as one will not, And well each knows the right; Though the white storm howls, or the sun is hot, The black must serve the white.

And it's, oh, for the white man's softening flesh, While the black man's muscles grow!

Well I know which grows the mightier, _I_ know; full well I know.

The white man seeks the soft, fat place, And he moves and he works by rule.

Ingenious grows the humbler race In Oppression's prodding school.

And it's, oh, for a white man gone to seed, While the Negro struggles so!

And I know which race develops most, I know; yes, well I know.

The white man rides in a palace car, And the Negro rides "Jim Crow."

To d.a.m.n the other with bolt and bar, One creepeth so low; so low!

And it's, oh, for a master's nose in the mire, While the humbled hearts o'erflow!

Well I know whose soul grows big at this, And whose grows small; _I know_!

The white man leases out his land, And the Negro tills the same.

One works; one loafs and takes command; But I know who wins the game!

And it's, oh, for the white man's shrinking soil, As the black's rich acres grow!

Well I know how the signs point out at last, I know; ah, well I know!

The white man votes for his color's sake, While the black, for his is barred; (Though "ignorance" is the charge they make), But the black man studies hard.

And it's, oh, for the white man's sad neglect, For the power of his light let go!

So, I know which man must win at last, I know! Ah, Friend, I know!

AN INDIGNATION DINNER

Dey was hard times jes fo' Christmas round our neighborhood one year; So we held a secret meetin', whah de white folks couldn't hear, To 'scuss de situation, an' to see what could be done Towa'd a fust-cla.s.s Christmas dinneh an' a little Christmas fun.

Rufus Green, who called de meetin', ris an' said: "In dis here town, An' throughout de land, de white folks is a-tryin' to keep us down."

S' 'e: "Dey's bought us, sold us, beat us; now dey 'buse us 'ca'se we's free; But when dey tetch my stomach, dey's done gone too fur foh me!

"Is I right?" "You sho is, Rufus!" roared a dozen hungry throats.

"Ef you'd keep a mule a-wo'kin', don't you tamper wid his oats.

Dat's sense," continued Rufus. "But dese white folks nowadays Has done got so close and stingy you can't live on what dey pays.