James Weldon Johnson

Cuddle down, ma honey, in yo' bed,
Go to sleep an' res' yo' little head,
Been a-kind o' ailin' all de day
Didn't have no sperit fu' to play

Sunrise in the Tropics Sol,
Sol, mighty lord of the tropic zone,
Here I wait with the trembling stars To see thee once more take thy throne
There the patient palm tree

When buffeted and beaten by life's storms,
When by the bitter cares of life oppressed,
I want no surer haven than your arms,
I want no sweeter heaven than your breast

Skin as black an' jes as sof' as a velvet dress,
Teeth as white as ivory —well dey is I guess
Eyes dat's jes as big an' bright as de evenin' star;
An' dat hol' some sort o' light lublier by far

(On the Anniversary of Lincoln's Birth)Father,
Father Abraham,
Today look on us from above;
On us, the offspring of thy faith,

Der ain't no use in sayin' de Lawd won't answer prah;
If you knows how to ax Him,
I knows He's bound to heah
De trouble is, some people don't ax de proper way,

Are you bowed down in heart
Do you but hear the clashing discords and the din of life
Then come away, come to the peaceful wood,
Here bathe your soul in silence

Look heah
'Splain to me de
Why you said to Squire Lee,
Der wuz twelve ole chicken

Once der was a meetin' in de wilderness,
All de critters of creation dey was dar;
Brer Rabbit,
Brer 'Possum,

W'en de banjos wuz a-ringin',
An' de darkies wuz a-singin',
Oh, wuzen dem de good times sho
All de ole folks would be chattin',

Around the council-board of Hell, with Satan at their head,
The Three Great Scourges of humanity sat
Gaunt Famine, with hollow cheek and voice, arose and spoke,—"O,
Prince,

See
There he stands; not brave, but with an
Of sullen stupor
Mark him well