African American Poetry: A Digital Anthology

Frances Smith Brown, "Seeing the Light" (1927)

Seeing the Light 

By Frances Smith Brown 

Who puts his wagon to a star,
     Shall drive it but a night.
For unseen things will only bar
     The ones that are in sight.

Every man may be alert and quick,
     But first he must be slow.
The world is not so hard to lick,
     But first a man must know.

A dreaming life is a wasted one,
     Look inwardly upon your soul:
The battle fought will then be won,
     And you have attained your goal.


Published in The Messenger, November 1927

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