Page:Negro poets and their poems (IA negropoetstheirp00kerl).pdf/192

170 world.” All the art he has acquired, untaught, from his reading and unaided thinking. Naturally one would not expect that art to be flawless. His initial poem, while not literally a self-description, will serve to introduce this adopted son of the lyric Muse:

The poet sits and dreams and dreams; He scans his verse; he probes his themes. Then turns to stretch or stir about, Lest, like his thoughts, his strength give out. Then off to bed, for he must rise And cord some wood, or tamp some ties, Or break a field of fertile soil, Or do some other manual toil. He dare not live by wage of pen, Most poorly paid of poor paid men, With shoes o’er-run, and threadbare clothes,— And editors among the foes Who mock his song, deny him bread, Then sing his praise when he is dead.

A secret consolation is intimated in the following lines:

Though many are the dreams I dream, They're born within a single theme. The same kind voice I ever hear, Instilling faith, upbraiding fear: