Through the eyes of life I looked in at my own heart: A long furrowed field Grown cement waiting for seed Baking in desolation.
Drink in moods of joy! Why should the sky be lonely? Neither sun nor moon-- How my heart is shy of night Like Autumn’s leaf brown pendants.
Cold against the sky The blue jays cried at dawning. The larks where are they? Heavily upon the air My ears tuned in to listen.
So this is the reed? The very pipes for singing-- Life plays me new songs. Wistfully from out the dawn The crows broke across the sky!
And now Spring has come Blossoming up my garden. I alone unchanged. Moving in my house of Autumn. One leaf alone saves a tree.
By the pool of life Willows are drooping tonight I can see no stars. What dances in the water? O my clouds dripping with tears.
Could I hear your voice O but this silence is sweet Words mar all beauty. Turn then into your own heart And pluck the roots from the soil--
O apple blossoms Give me your words of silence, Yes, your charming speech.
Lewis Grandison Alexander was an African American poet, playwright, and actor associated with the Harlem Renaissance. He was born in Washington, D.C., in 1898 and later moved to New York City. He published a volume of poetry titled "The Dark Fire" in 1925. His poems also appeared in anthologies such as "The New Negro" and "Caroling Dusk." Alexander's poetry frequently explored themes of Black identity, urban life, and the experience of modernity. He employed imagery drawn from jazz and blues, reflecting the rhythms and nightlife of Harlem. His work often depicted the lives of working-class African Americans and the complexities of racial uplift. In addition to poetry, he wrote plays including "The Yellow Streak" and "The Bronze Venus." He was active in theater groups such as the Krigwa Players, contributing to the development of Black drama. Alexander's literary contributions helped shape the artistic expressions of the Harlem Renaissance, though he remains less widely known than some of his contemporaries.
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