Tag: Georgia Douglas Johnson

“Welt” by Georgia Douglas Johnson

Post author By TDarris
Post date February 4, 2021
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Would I might mend the fabric of my youth

That daily flaunts its tatters to my eyes,

Would I might compromise awhile with truth

Until our moon now waxing, wanes and dies.

For I would go a further while with you,

And drain this cup so tantalant and fair

Which meets my parched lips like cooling dew,

Ere time has brushed cold fingers thru my hair!

Tags American poetry, Black History, black history month, Black Poetry, Georgia Douglas Johnson, poem, Poetry, women poets

19th century African-American Georgia Douglas Johnson Uncategorized United States women poets

“Smothered Fires” by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

Post author By TDarris
Post date September 15, 2018
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"Smothered Fires"

BY GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON

A woman with a burning flame

Deep covered through the years

With ashes. Ah! she hid it deep,

And smothered it with tears.

Sometimes a baleful light would rise

From out the dusky bed,

And then the woman hushed it quick

To slumber on, as dead.

At last the weary war was done

The tapers were alight,

And with a sigh of victory

She breathed a soft—good-night!

Source: The Heart of a Woman and Other Poems (The Cornhill Company, 1918)

Tags Georgia Douglas Johnson, Harlem Renaissance, Poetry, women poets

19th century African-American American Poetry Georgia Douglas Johnson Harlem Renaissance Uncategorized United States women poets

“The Measure” by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

Post author By TDarris
Post date September 14, 2018
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“The Measure”

BY GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON

Fierce is the conflict—the battle of eyes,

Sure and unerring, the wordless replies,

Challenges flash from their ambushing caves—

Men, by their glances, are masters or slaves.

Source: The Heart of a Woman and Other Poems (The Cornhill Company, 1918)

Tags Georgia Douglas Johnson, Harlem Renaissance, Poetry, women poets

19th century African-American American Poetry Georgia Douglas Johnson Uncategorized women poets

“Common Dust” by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

Post author By TDarris
Post date September 13, 2018
3 Comments on “Common Dust” by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

Common Dust

BY GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON

And who shall separate the dust

What later we shall be:

Whose keen discerning eye will scan

And solve the mystery?

The high, the low, the rich, the poor,

The black, the white, the red,

And all the chromatique between,

Of whom shall it be said:

Here lies the dust of Africa;

Here are the sons of Rome;

Here lies the one unlabelled,

The world at large his home!

Can one then separate the dust?

Will mankind lie apart,

When life has settled back again

The same as from the start?

Tags Georgia Douglas Johnson, Harlem Renaissance, New York, Poetry, women poets

19th century African-American American Poetry Georgia Douglas Johnson Harlem Renaissance Uncategorized women poets

“Black Woman” by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

Post author By TDarris
Post date September 12, 2018
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“Black Woman”

Georgia Douglas Johnson, 1880 – 1966

Don’t knock at the door, little child,
     I cannot let you in,
You know not what a world this is
     Of cruelty and sin.
Wait in the still eternity
     Until I come to you,
The world is cruel, cruel, child,
     I cannot let you in!

Don’t knock at my heart, little one,
     I cannot bear the pain
Of turning deaf-ear to your call
     Time and time again!
You do not know the monster men
     Inhabiting the earth,
Be still, be still, my precious child,
     I must not give you birth!