African American Poetry: A Digital Anthology

Langston Hughes, "Lullaby" (1926)

(For a Black Mother)

My little dark baby,
My little earth-thing,
My little love-one,
What shall I sing
For your lullaby?
   Stars,
   Stars,
   A necklace of stars
   Winding the night.

My little black baby,
My dark body's baby,
What shall I sing
For your lullaby?
   Moon,
   Moon,
   Great diamond moon,
   Kissing the night.

Oh, little dark baby,
Night black baby,
   Stars, stars,
   Moon,
   Night stars,
   Moon,
   For your sleep-song lullaby!


Published in The Crisis, March 1926

This page has tags: