JenellyBean: Poetry Lover

I've been in the Library recently torturing my eyes to look through reels and reels of microfilm from The Baltimore Afro-American Ledger from 1900-1920.

I found this beautiful poem in the Jan., 24, 1914 paper and I wanted to share.

TO THE COLORED GIRL

I have heard the praises sung, of the
Anglo Saxon girl,
Of the Spanish, and the Irish, the Ger-
man, all so sweet,
But if you really want a nice thing, a
Precious gleaming perl,
Observe whenever you may meet, a
modest colored girl.
If speaking of the color, we have them
of all shades,
Of such a multiplicity, that reason
about fades,
But if you want a treasure, a wife
that’s not a churl
You’ve only got to marry, a modest
colored girl
Just notice at a sunset, the cloud in
autumn sky,
Tinged with a golden brown, the even-
ing seems to die,
The smiling hidden cloud veiled sun,
puts me in a twirt,
It surely does remind me of, a modest
colored girl.
Injustice surely has been done, to this
one great subject,
In hiding this great beauty, so I would
fain correct;
You probably think different but my
banner I unfurl
There is nothing better looking than, a
modest colored girl

D. Webb Johns Baltimore Afro-American Ledger Jan, 24, 1914 .