Georgia Douglas Johnson, "Romance" (1924)
When I was young I used to say
Romance will come riding by,
And I shall surely smile
And play with him a while.
When I grew older then I said
Romance may come riding by
I wonder shall I smile
And play with him a while?
But now alas, I only say
Romance came not riding by
And I shall never smile,
He has been dead the while!
Published in The Messenger, November 1924