To my Mother and Father
This First Book

Acknowledgments

For permission to reprint certain of these poems thanks is hereby given to the following publications:

The American Mercury
The Bookman
The Century
The Crisis
The Conning Tower: New York World
Folio
Harper’s Magazine
Les Continents
The Messenger
The Nation
Opportunity
Palms
Poetry: A Magazine of Verse
The Southwestern Christian Advocate
The Survey Graphic
The World Tomorrow
Vanity Fair

Contents

TO YOU WHO READ MY BOOK[ xiii]
COLOR
YET DO I MARVEL[ 3]
A SONG OF PRAISE[ 4]
BROWN BOY TO BROWN GIRL[ 5]
A BROWN GIRL DEAD[ 6]
TO A BROWN GIRL[ 7]
TO A BROWN BOY[ 8]
BLACK MAGDALENS[ 9]
ATLANTIC CITY WAITER[ 10]
NEAR WHITE[ 11]
TABLEAU[ 12]
HARLEM WINE[ 13]
SIMON THE CYRENIAN SPEAKS[ 14]
INCIDENT[ 15]
TWO WHO CROSSED A LINE (SHE CROSSES)[ 16]
TWO WHO CROSSED A LINE (HE CROSSES)[ 17]
SATURDAY’S CHILD[ 18]
THE DANCE OF LOVE[ 19]
PAGAN PRAYER[ 20]
WISDOM COMETH WITH THE YEARS[ 22]
TO MY FAIRER BRETHREN[ 23]
FRUIT OF THE FLOWER[ 24]
THE SHROUD OF COLOR[ 26]
HERITAGE[ 36]
EPITAPHS
FOR A POET[ 45]
FOR MY GRANDMOTHER[ 46]
FOR A CYNIC[ 47]
FOR A SINGER[ 48]
FOR A VIRGIN[ 49]
FOR A LADY I KNOW[ 50]
FOR A LOVELY LADY[ 51]
FOR AN ATHEIST[ 52]
FOR AN EVOLUTIONIST AND HIS OPPONENT [ 53]
FOR AN ANARCHIST[ 54]
FOR A MAGICIAN [ 55]
FOR A PESSIMIST[ 56]
FOR A MOUTHY WOMAN[ 57]
FOR A PHILOSOPHER[ 58]
FOR AN UNSUCCESSFUL SINNER [ 59]
FOR A FOOL[ 60]
FOR ONE WHO GAYLY SOWED HIS OATS[ 61]
FOR A SKEPTIC[ 62]
FOR A FATALIST [ 63]
FOR DAUGHTERS OF MAGDALEN [ 64]
FOR A WANTON [ 65]
FOR A PREACHER [ 66]
FOR ONE WHO DIED SINGING OF DEATH[ 67]
FOR JOHN KEATS, APOSTLE OF BEAUTY [ 68]
FOR HAZEL HALL, AMERICAN POET[ 69]
FOR PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR[ 70]
FOR JOSEPH CONRAD[ 71]
FOR MYSELF[ 72]
ALL THE DEAD[ 73]
FOR LOVE’S SAKE
OH, FOR A LITTLE WHILE BE KIND [ 77]
IF YOU SHOULD GO[ 78]
TO ONE WHO SAID ME NAY[ 79]
ADVICE TO YOUTH[ 80]
CAPRICE[ 81]
SACRAMENT[ 82]
BREAD AND WINE[ 83]
SPRING REMINISCENCE[ 84]
VARIA
SUICIDE CHANT [ 87]
SHE OF THE DANCING FEET SINGS[ 89]
JUDAS ISCARIOT[ 90]
THE WISE[ 95]
MARY, MOTHER OF CHRIST [ 96]
DIALOGUE [ 97]
IN MEMORY OF COL. CHARLES YOUNG[ 99]
TO MY FRIENDS[ 100]
GODS[ 101]
TO JOHN KEATS, POET. AT SPRINGTIME[ 102]
ON GOING[ 105]
HARSH WORLD THAT LASHEST ME[ 106]
REQUIESCAM [ 108]

To You Who Read My Book

SOON every sprinter,

However fleet,