| James Weldon Johnson, ed. (1871–1938). The Book of American Negro Poetry. 1922. |
| |
| The Negro Singer |
| | | James D. Corrothers |
| |
| |
| 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. | 5 |
| 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, | 10 |
| 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. | |
| |
|
|
|
