I look at the world
From awakening eyes in a black fac
And this is what I see:
This fenced—off narrow space
Assigned to me.

Tell all my mourners
To mourn in red —
Cause there ain’t no sense
In my bein’ dead.

When Susanna Jones wears red
her face is like an ancient cameo
Turned brown by the ages.
Come with a blast of trumphets, J
When Susanna Jones wears red

My old man’s a white old man
And my old mother’s black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.
If ever I cursed my black old mot

By what sends
the white kids
I ain’t sent:
I know I can’t
be President.

Because my mouth
Is wide with laughter
And my throat
Is deep with song,
You do not think

'Me an’ ma baby’s
Got two mo’ ways,
Two mo’ ways to do de Charleston!
Da, da,
Da, da, da!

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is
(America never was America to me.

I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the w
flow of human blood in human veins
My soul has grown deep like the ri
I bathed in the Euphrates when da

been scared and battered.
My hopes the wind done scattered.
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,
Looks like between 'em they done