African American Poetry (1870-1928): A Digital Anthology

Nellie R. Bright (Nellie Rathbone Bright), "Longings" (1927)

I want to slay all the things just things
That they tell me I must do,
I would drown them all in the tears | weep
When each breathless day is through.
I want to flee to a cool sand dune
On a wind-swept beach where the humming tune
Of the wind, and the waves, and the heart of me
Drums in my ears, and my lips are wet with the tang of the sea.
I want to feel the rain on my cheek,
The thrill that comes from a lark’s long note,
I want to see the sky at dawn thru the lacy green of a willow tree
I want to look deep in a pool at night, and see the stars
Flash flame like the fire in black opals, 


Published in Black Opals, Spring 1927

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