Category: Celebration

“Lift Every Voice and Sing”

Post author By TDarris
Post date January 31, 2022
No Comments on “Lift Every Voice and Sing”

by James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson circa
(1900 – 1920) / SOURCE: U.S. Library of Congress

“Lift Every Voice” / Original Version

Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won.

“Lift Every Voice” by James Weldon Johnson, sung by Committed

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

Alicia Keys – Lift Every Voice and Sing Performance

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our God,
True to our native land.

This poem is in the public domain.

Tags african american history, african american literature, African American poet, America, American Literature, American poetry, art, Arts, Black History, black history month, Black Poetry, faith, Literature, poem, poems, poet, Poetry

19th century 20th century American Poetry Black History Celebration modern poetry United States William Braithwaite

“Rhapsody”

by William Braithwaite

I am glad daylong for the gift of song,
For time and change and sorrow;
For the sunset wings and the world-end things
Which hang on the edge of to-morrow.
I am glad for my heart whose gates apart
Are the entrance-place of wonders,
Where dreams come in from the rush and din
Like sheep from the rains and thunders.

Tags America, American poetry, Arts, Literature, poem, poems, poet, Poetry, William Braithwaite

20th century African-American America American American Poetry Celebration Lucille Clifton Uncategorized United States women women poets

“won’t you celebrate with me” by LUCILLE CLIFTON (1936 – 2010)

Post author By TDarris
Post date March 11, 2018
No Comments on “won’t you celebrate with me” by LUCILLE CLIFTON (1936 – 2010)

won’t you celebrate with me

BY LUCILLE CLIFTON

won’t you celebrate with me
what i have shaped into
a kind of life? i had no model.
born in babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did i see to be except myself?
i made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.

Tags Lucille Clifton, poem, poems, poet, Poetry, Poets, woman, women, women poets, women writers, women's history, women's history month, Writer, writers

18th Century 19th century Celebration English poetry European Poetry nature Poetry UK Uncategorized United Kingdom William Wordsworth

Poem: “Traveling” by William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)

Post author By TDarris
Post date April 3, 2017
No Comments on Poem: “Traveling” by William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)

This is the spot:—how mildly does the sun
Shine in between the fading leaves! the air
In the habitual silence of this wood
Is more than silent: and this bed of heath,
Where shall we find so sweet a resting-place?
Come!—let me see thee sink into a dream
Of quiet thoughts,—protracted till thine eye
Be calm as water when the winds are gone
And no one can tell whither.—my sweet friend!
We two have had such happy hours together
That my heart melts in me to think of it.

Tags #books, art, Europa, european, European Poetry, inspiration, male poets, modern era poetry, modern literature, modern poet, modern poetry, nature, poem, poems, poet, Poetry, Poets, reflections, word, writing

19th century America American American Poetry Celebration English Life Literature nature Poetry Uncategorized United States Walt Whitman

Poem: “When I Heard the Learned Astronomer” by Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892)

Post author By TDarris
Post date April 2, 2017
No Comments on Poem: “When I Heard the Learned Astronomer” by Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892)

When I heard the learn’d astronomer, 
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, 
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, 
   and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with
   much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, 
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

African-American America American American Poetry Black History Celebration English History Hope Literature Maya Angelou Other Stuff Poerty Poetry Teyuna T. Darris Uncategorized United States

“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

Post author By TDarris
Post date February 3, 2017
1 Comment on “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014)

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

19th century America American American Poetry Celebration Emily Dickinson Love Poetry Teyuna T. Darris Uncategorized United States

“I had no time to hate, because” by Emily Dickinson

Post author By TDarris
Post date November 20, 2016
No Comments on “I had no time to hate, because” by Emily Dickinson

I HAD no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.

Nor had I time to love; but since
Some industry must be,
The little toil of love, I thought,
Was large enough for me.

19th century African-American America American American Poetry Black History Celebration Harlem Renaissance Hope James Weldon Johnson Poetry Reflect Uncategorized United States

“The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson (1871 – 1938)

Post author By TDarris
Post date June 29, 2016
No Comments on “The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson (1871 – 1938)

Sometimes the mist overhangs my path,
And blackening clouds about me cling;
But, oh, I have a magic way
To turn the gloom to cheerful day—
I softly sing.

And if the way grows darker still,
Shadowed by Sorrow’s somber wing,
With glad defiance in my throat,
I pierce the darkness with a note,
And sing, and sing.

I brood not over the broken past,
Nor dread whatever time may bring;
No nights are dark, no days are long,
While in my heart there swells a song,
And I can sing.

Tags #read, #reading, 19th century, 20th century, african, african american history, African American poet, african american slavery, African-American, African-American Literature, African-American Poetry, african-cuban, africana, America, american, american history, American Literature, american poet, American poetry, american slave, americana, anthology, art, Arts, Black, Black History, black history month, black literature, black music, Black Poet, Black Poetry, Black Poety, civil right, civil rights, countee cullen, cullen, Freedom, harlem, Harlem Renaissance, harvard, History, history & politics, hughes, hymn, iamb, jim crow, Langston Hughes, lift ev'ry voice and sing, literary, Literature, man, Memory, men, music, nature, negro, negro spiritual, negroes, negros, pentameter, poem, poet, poetic, poetics, Poetry, poetry book, poetry books, poetry community, poetry reading, poetry society, Poets, poettrisnotdead, readers, reconstruction, refelct, reflection, reflections, reflects, renaissance, Rhyme, rhymed stanza, rhythm, sing, slave, song, songs, spiritual, thought, thoughts, time, United States, west, western, Write, Writer, writers, writing

Celebration Poetry Religion and Spirituality Uncategorized

God Looked Down

God Looked Down by Teyuna T. Darris

Tags #2016, #amwriting, #book, #books, #pmwriting, #poetrychallenge2016, #publish, #publisher, #publishing, #read, #reading, 20th century, African American poet, African-American Poetry, american poet, American poetry, amwriter, art, Arts, author, baby, beautiful, Beauty, Bible, Black Poet, blog, blogger, bloggers, blogging, challenge, chapbook, child, Children, darris, ebook, emerging, faith, Free, Freedom, global, goodpoetry, happy, humpday, liberty, literary, Literature, Love, lover, musing, natinoal poetry month, natinoalpoetrymonthchallenge, National Poetry Month 2016, nationalpoetrymonthchallenge 2016, new poet, Peace, pious, pmwriter, poem, poem a day challenge, poem a day challenge 2016, poem-a-day, poemaday, poemadaychallenge, poemadaychallenge2016, poet, Poetry, poetry challenge, poetrychallenge, Poets, reader, religion, religious, sing, singing, Soul, spirit, spiritual, spirituality, tdarris, teyuna, Teyuna T. Darris, teyunatdarris, trynea, tuesday, United States, world, world news, worldview, Write, Writer, year, year in review, yearinreview, Zephaniah, Zephaniah 3:17

18th Century British Poetry Celebration England English English poetry European Poetry UK United Kingodm

“The Lamb” by William Blake

Post author By TDarris
Post date July 31, 2015
No Comments on “The Lamb” by William Blake

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,
By the stream and o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee.
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Tags 18th Century, art, Arts, Bible, Britain, British, British Poet, Catherine Blake, Celebration, Chrisianity, Christ, christian, Eighteenth Century, England, English, English Poet, Europa, Europe, Holy Bible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Literature, messiah, poem, poet, Poetry, tdarris, The Lamb, UK, United Kingdom, William Blake

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won’t you celebrate with me

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“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014)

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