April Is National Poetry Month!
BLACK WOMAN
MARCUS GARVEY
Black queen of beauty, thou hast given color to the world!
Among
other women thou art royal and the fairest!
Like the brightest
of jewels in the regal diadem,
Shin'st thou, Goddess of Africa,
Nature's purest emblem!
Black men worship at thy virginal shrine of truest love,
Because
in thine eyes are virtue's steady and holy mark,
As we see in no
other, clothed in silk or fine linen,
From ancient Venus, the
Goddess, to mythical Helen.
When Africa stood at the head of the elder nations,
The Gods
used to travel from foreign lands to look at thee:
On couch of
costly Eastern materials, all perfumed,
Reclined thee, as in thy
path flow'rs were strewn-
sweetest that bloomed.
Thy transcendent marvelous beauty made the whole world mad,
Bringing
Solomon to tears as he viewed thy comeliness;
Anthony and the
elder Ceasars wept at thy royal feet,
Preferring death than to
leave thy presence, their foes to meet.
You, in all ages, have attracted the adoring world,
And caused
many a bloody banner to be unfurled:
You have sat upon exalted
and lofty eminence,
To see a world fight in your ancient African
defense.
Today you have been dethroned, through the weakness of your
men,
While, in frenzy, those who of yore craved your smiles and
your hand-
Those who were all monsters and could not with love
approach you-
Have insulted your pride and now attack your good
virtue.
Because of disunion you became mother of the world,
Giving tinge
of robust color to five continents,
Making a greater world of
millions of colored races,
Whose claim to beauty is reflected
through our black faces.
From the handsome Indian to European brunette,
There is a claim
for that credit of their sunny beauty
That no one can e'er to
take from thee, 0 Queen of all
women
Who have borne trials and troubles and racial burden.
Once more
we shall, in Africa, fight and conquer for you,
Restoring the
pearly crown that proud Queen Sheba did wear:
Yea, it may mean
blood, it may mean death; but still we shall fight,
Bearing our banners to Vict'ry, men of Afric's might.
Superior
Angels look like you in Heaven above,
For thou art fairest,
queen of the seasons, queen of our love:
No condition shall make
us ever in life desert thee,
Sweet Goddess of the ever green
land and placid blue sea.
February 28, 1927
