Black Man o' Mine

Anne Spencer

Black man o' mine,
If the world were your lover,
It could not give you what I give to you,
Or the ocean would yield and you could discover
Its ages of treasure to hold and to view;
Could it fill half the measure of my heart's portion...
Just for you living, just for you giving all this devotion,
Black man o' mine.

Black man o' mine,
As I hush and caress you, close to my heart,
All your loving is just your needing what's true;
Then with your passing dark comes my darkest part,
For living without your loving is only rue.
Black mano' mine, if the world were your lover,
It could not give what Igive to you.

Unpublished.





Last updated February 22, 2023