Why do men smile when I speak, And call my speech The whimperings of a babe That cries but knows not what it wants? Is it because I am black?
Why do men sneer when I arise And stand in their councils, And look them eye to eye. And speak their tongue? Is it because I am black?
The burnished glow of the old-gold moon Shines brightly over me. A thousand stars, like a thousand isles In a dark and placid sea, Bring memories of a golden night. Bedecked in Autumn's hue And fragrant with the lilac's bloom. That brought me joy — and you.
On such a day as this I think, On such a day as this, When earth and sky and nature's whole Are clad in April's bliss; And balmy zephyrs gently waft Upon your cheek a kiss; Sufficient is it just to live On such a day as this.
I am so tired and weary, So tired of the endless fight,
So weary of waiting the dawn And finding endless night.
That I ask but rest and quiet - Rest for days that are gone,
And quiet for the little space That I must journey on.
Joseph Seamon Cotter Jr. was an African American poet and playwright born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1895, whose career was cut short by his death from tuberculosis in 1919. His poetry explores themes of racial identity, spiritual seeking, and the human condition, often employing free verse and experimental forms that anticipated later modernist developments. Cotter's imagery draws on both Christian symbolism and African American folk traditions, creating a distinctive voice that bridges the nineteenth-century spirituals and the Harlem Renaissance. His one-act play "On the Fields of France" reflects on World War I and racial injustice, while his poem "The Band of Gideon" is frequently anthologized as an early example of black modernism. As the son of poet Joseph Seamon Cotter Sr., he was part of a literary family, yet his own work stands out for its lyrical intensity and formal innovation. Despite his brief life, Cotter's writings influenced subsequent generations of African American writers and are studied as precursors to the Harlem Renaissance. His collected poems and plays were published posthumously, securing his legacy in American literary history.
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