"Poetry for the People": Reading Garveyism through Poetry

The Colored Child's Lamentations, by Aurelia S. Caine

God help the little colored child,

And with her please abide,

To help her bear the prejudice

That comes from every side.

Be with her in her daily toil,

And when her work is o’er:

Be with her when she goes to live

Where sorrow is no more.

No matter whither she may roam,

She finds it hard to bear

The taunting tongues of the unknown,

Unless she has your care.

It seems so hard to understand

The attitude of those

Who try to hurt another one,

But oh, some day, who knows?

A mighty battle may occur

In honor of our right

To live as other men will live.

Are we to win the fight?

Oo Lord a new hope we desire,

To meet the other race,

To let them see and know our hearts,

And win a higher place!

Oh, why have we been the oppressed?

And suffered all in vain?

Are we to have our equal rights?

Are we to make the gain?

Our eyes are open, and we see

The wrongs done to our race.

But when the battle has been fought,

We’ll win a higher Grace.

    Aurelia S. Caine.

    Boston, Mass.


From the February 26, 1921 issue.

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