PS 3531 .076415 V6 1917 Copy 1 j 1 1 ■ III OF CON< III III SRESS 1 DDD137103HA / I ■0 4 o . -^^ ^^ /^^^a'« ^«. c** .^f? ,^' ""^..^ ^ [ V^ ^ V3 The Voice of The Negro In South Carolina ^ POEMS BY Edwin Posey ^ 4 The Voice of The Negro In South Carolina POEMS BY Edwin Posey Price 25 Cents The Crescent Printing: Co. Columbia, S. C. ^^, Copyright 1917 B^ Edwin Posey / OCT 12 1917 DCI.A476544 -1^1 X^^ \ TO MY MOTHER CONTENTS Introduction An Invitation to Workers 17 A Voice of the Youth 19 A Word to Boys 20 An Orphan Cry in South Carolina 21 A Voice of the Weak .....23 For the Sake of Our Children 25 Good Luck and What it is in South Carolina 26 How We Build the Temple 29 If We Only Understood 30 Just A Word To You 32 New Year - 35 Our Duty To Our Country 36 Ode To The South Carolina Teacher 37 South Carolina, My Birth Place 39 Safety First , 40 Success And How It Comes 41 The Roses of Dixie 43 The Country Store 45 Time 46 To The Front 47 The South Carolina Negroes Voice 48 Truth 49 The Church in South Carolina.. 50 What We Have To Be Thankful For 52 When I Grow To Be A Man 54 11 Pref ace THE contents of this little volume m:a5^ not altogether agree with its title, but T have striven to make it as near so as possible. lu the writinj^f of this message (The Voice of the Negro) I have invoked the guidance of Almighty God that I may speak for my people, the Negro race. I have not tried to tell of all our achievements, which have been wonderful and marvelous, because much has been said along that line. But as the title so have we tried to be in our verses, a voice asking our race to be more co- operative, a voice of gratitude, a voice making known our desires to become acquainted with little things, the voice we hope will be to our race the one thing needful— inspiration. I find that with all of our achievements'that we are quite a distance from our desired goal. As one of the early prophets has truly said, "There is much ^and yet to be possessed. In presenting this book to the reading public I have im- plored the blessings of God upon it, that it may lift the ideais of our people, that their hearts may be lifted up and made to rejoice over past, present and future things that have helped and will continue to uplift our people in general. God hasten on the da^^ when we as a race shall regain all of our lost virtues that we haven't regained yet, when the spirit of co-operation, as other good things, have in the past, shall begin at the house of the Lords. If, we, as a race knew the worth of co-operation, as we should, no longer would our business enterprises and professional men have to struggle to succeed. May you read this book with pleasure and profit; may your confidence in the race grow; may the other races of the land hear our cry and give us the same privileges that have been given other races of the land. May they learn to know that we have some virtues along with our vices. Fin- ally, last, but not least, may theyieari/ to magnify our good work as the evil is sometime magnified. Hdwin Posey Johnston, S. C. March 12, 1917. 13 An Invitation To Workers. To the man that has foundation To the one that stands upright To the one fears not temptation And the one trusts in God's mig^ht To the One that lives for others To the one that lives for Christ To the one that loves his brother And the one lives pure in life. South Carolina needs you now Just as others I expect We will show the world just how We the sinfulness will check. Now the fields are ripe and ready Will you come and work today? Here your job is ever steady Come and help us catch the stray 17 South Carolina has some good men And she naeds quite a few more It will not be until then You will have peace at your door. Then the will if great and small men! Will become the will of God's We will sing the songs and anthems Of the way our Fathers trod. Then a little child shall lead them Both the lion and the lamb And their praise shall be the omeu To God who is the great I amc 18 A Voice Of The Youth. Wliei) I grow to be a man A farmer, I shall be if I can I will raise produce improve the land And never use a moving van. Second Boy When I grow to be a man A merchant I shall be if I can I'll fill my store with goods from the East And once a year give the poor a feast. Third Boy. When I grow to be a man A doctor I shall be if I can I'll visit both the great and small And give my best attention to all. Fourth Boy. When I grow to be a man A minister I shall be if I can I'll visit the sick reprove the wicked And scare the evils away from the thickets. All in concert. We little men have come to tell About our aims in life We hope that each will succeed well Then marry each a wife. 19 A Word To Boys. Tobacco and drinks are not for boys They cannot take the place of t6ys They often make the day seem long And someiimes do the young men wrong. To school every day on time And with the other young men shime Each is trying to do the best All of them want to stand the test. The test of life that come to all The noble great and the small They '11 come to you some day young man So fortify yourself to stand. Obey your mother first at home And you will have no desire to roam Thus following in the tracks of Christ And yours will be a well spent life. 20' An Orphan's Cry In S. C. O ut in the streets in the rain and snow Out where the wintry's wind doth blow Out in a world surrounded by g:uile O its some poor motherless child. Out of a home wheie mother once knew Out in a world that's never true In a land of sin, of sorrow a while Indeed it must be a motherless child. Out of a home where the Bible was read Out in a world where millions dread 1 hear a faint weeping out in the Isle It makes me think of a motherless child. Out in a world of strife and sin Out in a country where gamblers win Out in a world that gives no smile This is the fate of a motherless child. 21 Out in the city strolling the lane Striving for a living but all in vain Is clad in thin clothes that never was style Yes, this is the experience of a motherless child I wonder why no one cares for me? I wonder can I this condition flee I wonder if I am an African wild Or its because I'm a motherless child? This question hasp-izzled me for some >ears And a many times I have shed briny tears I would to God I was on some isle Than to be in this world a motherless child But bye and bye when hopes were gone There came the minister with a song He stooped and lifted me with a smile Rescued the down-trodden motherless child. 22 A Voice Of The Weak In the State of South Carolina In the State I love so well In the State of John C. Calhoun Is the story I'm going to tell. O thou far famed South Carolina Thou whose fame has crossed the seas Thy constitution we know well, How can vou be so much at ease? When there are here in South Carolina Some things that you doubtless know But for fear you're not informed One or two I'm going to show. In the State of South Carolina There are many boys and girls Who if they were properly trained Would make good citizens in this world 23 The school terms of dear South Carolina Are from ten back to three months Now you know we all belong here So please help us much as once. Let us lengthen out the short terms Let the others remain the same If you'll do this Sonth Carolina You'll add laurels to your fame. If you would make our State richer And place it on a higher plane Let us stop so much complaining For its time to make a change. In the place of wicked prisons I think a school would do It would help to change conditiong And help all men to be true. Then the time that we've long looked for Our fathers longed to see It will come if South Carolina Will set all her children free. 24 For The Sake of Our Children. For the sake of our children We should stand for what is rig^ht We should help each other then We would save some ones sad plight. For the sake of our children We should send them all to school There would be no room you see then For the folks to call us fools. For the sake of our children We should shape their lives while youngs We should put high ideals in them And our good works will be sung. For the good of our children South Carolina, should come first It was God who praised their anthems South Carolina gave them birth. 25 Good Luck and What It Is In S. C. If you happen to make good In the arena of life If you happen not to marry But one woman for your wife You can often hear folks talking About the luck you had in life You can hear some of them say That you even had it twice vSome will say some of your kin folks Simply left you all the pluck And in many other ways That no sound mind could justify Is the story they are telling And the way they testify But my friends I'm here to tell you That there is no luck on earth For the lazy man or woman Who's forver dodging work 26 But the luck that's in this world Comes in proportion as you work And my friend the lazy man It don't visit those who shirk The men who make great discoveries They are always on the job They keep close to mother's nature There her secrets are not odd. Take a look in the modern world And see the change has taken place We see the white man and the Negro All are keeping forward pace; When we see the mighty steamships See the mighty railroad trains And the wonderful wireless telegraph Don't you think some brains are strained? Now we have the Aeroplane The giant German submarine In the state of South Carolina There are those have been trained. They were trained in our schools How to serve the present age. There they learned to know all men And to never get discouraged Lawyers, Doctors, and our teachers And the ministers of the gospel They and many others whom Time and space fails me to tell. 27 And my friends will you yet tell me That all of this is luck too? Now my friends I'm here to tell you That it takes some good brains too; Those who would build up a fortune Are those who desire fame. The price of it they'll surely pay If they win in life's great game- The price of it is sleepless nights, Restless days and always fight Believe yourself that you can win Trust in God with all your might When folks come around talking luck Tell them all to go their way For you know now for yourself That such luck will not do this day. When you make this resolution Problems swift will disappear And if service is your text Duty to you will be dear. 2S How We Build The Temple We build the temple day by day Like Solomon did of old we say We build upon the solid ground So when it rains we'll still be found. We build the Temple day by day The Holy Temple of the Lord That we may woiship at His feet And Live forever humble and meek We build the Temple day by day By the good deed and words we say Then let us try to do our best The Temple then will stand the test. Wc build the Temple day by day We hope and trust all will say We thank Thee for the Temple Lord And for thy Holy written Word. (The Truth Tune) 29 If We Only Understood If we only understood Each other as we often think We would sometime do some good And put in the missing link, We would sometime work for others And deny ourselves we could We would lift our fallen broihers If we only understood. We could stop so much complaining Of our weakness here below We would go to those who 're waning And to them our service show We could feast on better things That are stored up for the good We could go where angels sing If we only understood. 30 If we knew more of ourselves And not so much of our brother We could take some of our wealth And give to the needy others, Could we learn or see the best And to do it then we would Now a change would be the rest If we otily understood. If we knew what we were made for Or we knew what duty meant There we'd start to doing service or We'd say I slept and drempt. Before we return to dust We would do it if we could We could bring the world to Jesus If we only understood ■' 31 Just A Word To You just a word to you my friend Just a word of love Is the message that I bring From my home above. Just a word of mothers advice It is all to you If you will accept it now Just a word will do. Just a word to you my son For you'll need it every bit. It is from your loving mother And she wants you to heed it; Just a word of consolation To the heart thats broken thru To the one that needs consoling Just a word to you. 32 To the one whose burdens heavy To the one that cares have worn To the one that trials many Have come often as the morn. To the one whose life's been well spem And the one that has wept too Its the man that knows your sorrow That has sent the word to you. To the man thats in the trenches To the one thats on the hill To the one that heeds the Gospel And believes we should not kill. To the one that reads the Bible To the one that searched it thru, To the man that has decided It is just a word to you. 33 Just a word to all man kind Just a word to the human race Who every one some distant day Must stand before the Master's face; It is a word from Jesus Its the onh' word will do Its the word that saved a nation It is just a word to you. Just a word to you I bring That will cheer a weary traveler Tell the man that in his sins Of the love of God the Father; Tell the man that don't know Christ In the pardon of his sins Christ is ready to for ^^ive Just a word to you my friends-. 34 "New Year" New Year's day is here at last It really came but not so fast We like to greet it then we say This is happy New Year's day. Only a few of us have thought Of the lessons that last year taught But let us not forget the cost Then our souls will not be lost The New Year brings us many things That is why we always sing It brought some of the same old cares That have prevailed in former years. It brought its sorrows and its woes And left our enemies and our foes It brought new duties to all men And God's command to never sin. Thus I hope we all will see That New Year means more than glee It means more work more sacrifice It means for us to better life. 35 Our Duty To Our Country Every man should love his country Whether he be white or black For we live inthe nineteenth century And we ope to never retrack. There's a duty that we owe Both to God and our brothtr Whether it be friend or foe We should strive to help the others. Let us love our country then Work and make conditions better Let us be true to all men Whether free or bound in fetter^^ 36 Ode to The S. C. Teacher To the South Carolina teacher Those who teach in Negro schools Those who listen to the preacher And their life is used a tool. To the one that does his best Whether encouraged or not To the one has stood the test And takes service for his lot. To the one that works for others Denying himself just like the Christ He's the one can lift his brothers From the depths to nobler heights. You shall have encouragement And our cooperation too Its to you my pen is lent It is just a word to you. 37 You are doing a noble work Training boys and girls for service Learning them to never shirk Their duty if its sacrifice. The destiny of the Negro race It is in the teachers hand You are keeping us in pace With the races of the land. You are making great and good men Out of little common boys You are helping them to look in Where there is something better than toyi. I know you need cooperation From the people of our race I know you have some oppoi^ition In your home or any place But if you are doing a good work If you're sure that you're doing good Remember that they would never shirk If they only understood. 38 South Carolina My Birth Place. Ill the old Palmetto State Is where I first saw the light It is where I learned to rate And to figure and to write. Here I learned about the schools And the way that things go on Here I learn the golden rule To never leave the right for wrong. South Carolina's small in area But she's great in possibilities We welcome all to keep a dairy And utilize our school facilities. South Carolina like other States Makes some mistakes now an i then But she has helped all the races That have made their home therein. South Carolina has some great men Who should be praised with tongue and pen If their voice was heard tomorrow There would be less sin and sorrow. 39 **Safety First" Safety first, it I believe Every man on earth should To your loved ones you are dear And the end is always near. Never risk yourself too much Thinking, harm you'll never touch For the danger's always near And there's trouble everywhere. Many a man has heeded too, And since their lives have been true, All the good men of the earth Knows the slogan, "Safety First.'' Safety first when you are born And you'll avoid much of the harm That comes in the average life And makes our mothers sacrifice. 40 Success And How It Comes- There are some of us who wonder Of the success of our brother And the thought in my mind ponders If he has deprived the others. Then I think a little higher In the realm of the just See and know the mighty power That to man our God has trust. Now I think a little different Of the Way that success comes Its the one that knows the contents Its the one the journey runs. 4i Its the one thats always boosting The good deeds of any brother Its the man thats always setting Good Example for the other. Its the man that does not envy Progress any where on earth. To the one that not deny Success starts right at your birth. Now my friend don^t think as I Think yonr chance is not as good, For the top you could aspire If you only understood. 42 The Roses of Dixie, Sing: a song about the roses That have lately shed their blooms, That have took their sweet repose And we too must follow soon. They were planted in the garden Where the water lilly grows And ware watered often when The evening stiu its shadow throws. On the west side of the plant bed Where the children use to play- There their pretty buds were red Giving fragrance every day. 43 I have often sat and wondered Where they got their fragrance from And the thought in mind pondered 'Twas they got it from the sun. For 'tis when the son is setting Far behind the western liills That the flowers are begetting Beauty from its Master stilL And the rose is our flower Its the one I love so well Gives its fragrance every hour That the children like to smell. 44 The Country Store. T remember years ago Just before the break of mourn Paying a visit to a country store Over tlie hills from our home. The store was owned by a colored man As plump as a butter ball I wish you could see him as T can As he leans against the wall. Of the stock of goods that was therein One or two I do remember W as candy in jars very thin On the twenty-fith of December. 'Twas there I knew mother and father Sister and brother too, From time to time we did gather Pennies at the country store. 45 lime. On the banks of time we stand Looking in as humans can Who'll be next none of us know One by one we all must go. As we stand by gazing on Thinking of the ones that's gone In the stream of time they went « As on a mission they were sent. In the stream of time we see Great characters used to be They've been ushered out of sight Into one long silent night. They will never meet again While the evils dwell on land And the babies we hear cry They will soon bid us good-bye For the children soon or we In the stream of time must flee In the darkness we'll not hide If the Lord with us abide. 46 To The Front. If you happen to make good With your speech this Childrens Day You should then be more en couraged To the front to make your way If an error you should make In your speech this Children's Day You snould never be discouraged But the front press on your way. You should stop and think about men Who have stemmed the swelling tide Who have climbed the hills of progress Now thev're on the other side. Remember life and what it is Than we our very soul will give Trying to save the dear lost ones That they all again may live. 47 The S. C. Negroes Voice. The South Carolina Negroes voice Has in the nations ear been hoist Hear us South Carolina men We'll be a better people then. Is South Carolina built of units? If it is let all construct it, Let us merit what we get And we still will follow yet. The poor black man like other men Has his faults its natural then, Who's the man that has no fault? He's now sleeping in some vault. Let us magnify the good work Constantly and never shirk If you will the good deeds own The evils will soon be gone. 48 Truth If we would accept the truth As our guide in early youth Often would the days bring mirth Years would swiftly pass on earth. It would be a guiding star To all men who would not bar The light the sun out of their life And substitute with sin and strife. To know the truth and" live it then Should' be the cry of all'the^men Strife and sin be it far from me And buried in oblivion's sea. 49 The Church in South Carolina For the church in South Carolina This I give to you the sign ^ It stands as Gibralter strong To help those who&e way is wrong; The chur-ch here stands for forward movements And a leading element too Will you come and join the band Under God's omnipotent hand? The church stands for the salvation of men And the way is so plain that all men can If they will keep on as they are On the final day wear a crown of stars. No sin is so vile or so great That the church cannot help you get straight Will you come and join today? Its a dangerous risk to remain away. 50 It is the instrument of salvation Saved many a man seemed doomed to damnation On the other hand it is the daily talk How the church gets along without making a balk; Its the honoring of mothers and fathers at home That gives us a place on earth to own Its the plan of the Master who came to the earth To give every man and woman new birth. If the plan you'll accept believing it best A life filled with service will tell the rest The kings and kingdoms of this world shall fall And our King shall triumph over all. I'm now going to bring my story to its end I hope that some one will take refuge therein, join with the church to campaij^n And war against the great profane. 51 What We Have To Be Thankful For. I am glad that I'm a Negro I am glad I'm in the South History says that we are Heroes Let us remain in ihe South In the South our mother land Is the dearest place I know It is where we'll all join hands For the goal of success sure. The South I think is now converted Has found out the Negroes worth Some of its people have deserted South Carolina for the north. Still there are in our State Great numbers of the Negro race They are those who out-stripped fate And are keeping forward pace. 52 We believe the so-called problem Can be solved here in the South If all men will keep within The laws that gfovern every mouth. Problems die where progress starts Thinking men have found this out Any race whose men are smart Success ought they never doubt. For within the Negro race There are men for every work In the South we fill our place From our duty never shirk. We have wrought well in the Southland This our progress plainly tells Out of bondage in the land In the Southland doing well. South Carolina I love thee, With my pin I will not lie If you'll let us all be free In South Carolina I will die. 53. When I Grow to be a Man. 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