African American Poetry: A Digital Anthology

Claude McKay, "To Inspector W.E. Clark (On his Return)" (1912)

[Note: This is a sequel of sorts to a poem in Songs of Jamaica"To Inspector W.E. Clark (On the Eve of his Depature for England"]

WE welcome you, dear Sir, again;
But oh! de comin' brings us pain,
For though we greet you glad to-day,
Once more you're bound to go away:
We grieve now deeper than before
To know you'll be wid us no more.

 
We fought o' meetin' you in gladness;
But no, our hearts are filled with sadness
To learn why we must part from you,
An officer so dear an' true:
Our prayer is dat de Fates will bless
You an' your kin wid health an' peace.

 
Farewell, dear Sir, farewell again! --
A farewell fraught wi' deepest pain:
De very ringin' o' de bell
Sounds like a wailin' of farewell;
We feel it deeply, to de core,
To know you'll be wid us no more. 

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