African American Poetry: A Digital Anthology

Eulalia Osby Proctor, "The Message" (1925)

I felt the lure of the city,
With the grey-green lake at its feet--
The strong breezes sweeping across it--
The eddying crowds in its streets!

I felt the clasp of your fingers,
Comforting, warm and near;
But I did not turn on my pillow--
For I knew you would not be here!

For the urge of the far-away city,
And the face that I would not see-
Were there in your vibrant summons,
'Come back to Chicago--and me!'


Published in The Messenger, July 1925

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