Poetry was a part of my self-discovery and cultural appreciation from a very young age. When I was younger i searched for Black poets and stumbled onto the name Paul Laurence Dunbar. Although Dunbar is best know for his Black dialectic verses; he was also authored novels, short stories and poetry without this theme that has been largely overlooked… Enjoy one of my favorite poems by Dunbar
The Sum
A little dreaming by the way,
A little toiling day by day;
A little pain, a little strife,
A little joy,–and that is life.
A little short-lived summer’s morn,
When joy seems all so newly born,
When one day’s sky is blue above,
And one bird sings,–and that is love.
A little sickening of the years,
The tribute of a few hot tears
Two folded hands, the failing breath,
And peace at last,–and that is death.
Just dreaming, loving, dying so,
The actors in the drama go–
A flitting picture on a wall,
Love, Death, the themes; but is that all?
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