W’en de banjos wuz a-ringin’, An’ de darkies wuz a-singin’, Oh, wuzen dem de good times sho! All de ole folks would be chattin’… An’ de pickaninnies pattin’,

Skin as black an’ jes as sof’ as a… Teeth as white as ivory '€”well de… Eyes dat’s jes as big an’ bright a… An’ dat hol’ some sort o’ light lu… Hair don’t hang 'way down her back…

Lift ev’ry voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Libert… Let our rejoicing rise High as the list’ning skies,

(A Negro Serenade) De river is a-glistenin’ in de moo… De owl is set’n high up in de tree… De little stars am twinklin’ wid a… De night seems only jes fu’ you an…

When morning shows her first faint… I think of the tender blush That crept so gently to your cheek When first my love I dared to spe… How, in your glance, a dawning ray

The snow has ceased its fluttering… The wind sunk to a whisper light, An ominous stillness fills the nig… A pause—a hush. At last, a sound that breaks the s…

(On an Incident at the Battle of… Under a burning tropic sun, With comrades around him lying, A trooper of the sable Tenth Lay wounded, bleeding, dying.

O, brothers mine, take care! Take… The great white witch rides out to… Trust not your prowess nor your st… Your only safety lies in flight; For in her glance there is a snare…

I love to sit alone, and dream, And dream, and dream; In fancy’s boat to softly glide Along some stream Where fairy palaces of gold

’Twas at early morning, The dawn was blushing in her purpl… When in a sweet, embowered garden She, the fairest of the goddesses, The lovely Venus,

I knew not who had wrought with sk… What I beheld; nor by what laws o… He had created life and love and h… On canvas, from mere color, curve… Silent I stood and made no move o…

Look heah! 'Splain to me de reaso… Why you said to Squire Lee, Der wuz twelve ole chicken thieves In dis heah town, includin’ me. Ef he tole you dat, my brudder,

I’m back down in ole Georgy w’ere… W’ere de cawn it is a-tasslin’, gi… W’ere de cott’n is a-openin’ an’ a… An’ de ripenin’ o’ de sugah-cane i… An’ de locus’ is a-singin’ f’om ev…

I sometimes take you in my dreams… Back in the ages long ago; a land… A land, by night, of jeweled skies… Within whose arms, outstretched an… Where twilight fell like silver fl…