Fifty Years, & Other PoemsFront matterReading editionChapter navigation63 reading sectionsGo to chapterChoose a chapter…Front matterJAMES WELDON JOHNSONBRANDER MATTHEWSACKNOWLEDGMENTINTRODUCTIONTO AMERICAO BLACK AND UNKNOWN BARDSO SOUTHLAND!To HORACE BUMSTEADTHE COLOR SERGEANTTHE BLACK MAMMYFATHER, FATHER ABRAHAMBROTHERSFRAGMENTTHE WHITE WITCHMOTHER NIGHTTHE YOUNG WARRIORTHE GLORY OF THE DAY WAS IN HER FACESONNETFROM THE SPANISHFROM THE GERMAN OF UHLANDBEFORE A PAINTINGI HEAR THE STARS STILL SINGINGGIRL OF FIFTEENTHE SUICIDEDOWN BY THE CARIB SEAAND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS WARA MID-DAY DREAMERTHE TEMPTRESSGHOSTS OF THE OLD YEARTHE GHOST OF DEACON BROWN"LAZY"OMARDEEP IN THE QUIET WOODVOLUPTASTHE WORD OF AN ENGINEERLIFESLEEPPRAYER AT SUNRISETHE GIFT TO SINGMORNING, NOON AND NIGHTHER EYES TWIN POOLSTHE AWAKENINGBEAUTY THAT IS NEVER OLDVENUS IN A GARDENVASHTITHE REWARDSENCE YOU WENT AWAYMA LADY'S LIPS AM LIKE DE HONEYTUNKNOBODY'S LOOKIN' BUT DE OWL AND DE MOONYOU'S SWEET TO YO' MAMMY JES DE SAMEA PLANTATION BACCHANALJULY IN GEORGYA BANJO SONGANSWER TO PRAYERDAT GAL O' MINETHE SEASONS'POSSUM SONGBRER RABBIT, YOU'S DE CUTES' OF 'EM ALLAN EXPLANATIONDE LITTLE PICKANINNY'S GONE TO SLEEPTHE RIVALSBeginning of this editionNext chapter →JAMES WELDON JOHNSONAll chapters and sections (63)Opening pagesFront matterOther sectionsJAMES WELDON JOHNSONBRANDER MATTHEWSACKNOWLEDGMENTINTRODUCTIONTO AMERICAO BLACK AND UNKNOWN BARDSO SOUTHLAND!To HORACE BUMSTEADTHE COLOR SERGEANTTHE BLACK MAMMYFATHER, FATHER ABRAHAMBROTHERSFRAGMENTTHE WHITE WITCHMOTHER NIGHTTHE YOUNG WARRIORTHE GLORY OF THE DAY WAS IN HER FACESONNETFROM THE SPANISHFROM THE GERMAN OF UHLANDBEFORE A PAINTINGI HEAR THE STARS STILL SINGINGGIRL OF FIFTEENTHE SUICIDEDOWN BY THE CARIB SEAAND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS WARA MID-DAY DREAMERTHE TEMPTRESSGHOSTS OF THE OLD YEARTHE GHOST OF DEACON BROWN"LAZY"OMARDEEP IN THE QUIET WOODVOLUPTASTHE WORD OF AN ENGINEERLIFESLEEPPRAYER AT SUNRISETHE GIFT TO SINGMORNING, NOON AND NIGHTHER EYES TWIN POOLSTHE AWAKENINGBEAUTY THAT IS NEVER OLDVENUS IN A GARDENVASHTITHE REWARDSENCE YOU WENT AWAYMA LADY'S LIPS AM LIKE DE HONEYTUNKNOBODY'S LOOKIN' BUT DE OWL AND DE MOONYOU'S SWEET TO YO' MAMMY JES DE SAMEA PLANTATION BACCHANALJULY IN GEORGYA BANJO SONGANSWER TO PRAYERDAT GAL O' MINETHE SEASONS'POSSUM SONGBRER RABBIT, YOU'S DE CUTES' OF 'EM ALLAN EXPLANATIONDE LITTLE PICKANINNY'S GONE TO SLEEPTHE RIVALSBYJAMES WELDON JOHNSON →