Are you a poetry lover? Or just a lover in general? If you answered yes to either of these questions, there is plenty of literature for you to enjoy from the endless writings of black poets. Love is one of those topics that, no matter how much time goes by, can never feel stuffy or outdated. For me, it’s so refreshing to be able to see myself and my feelings within older works; it makes me feel seen. And although we hear it all the time, it will never not blow my mind how unoriginal our thoughts and feelings are. Not only are we not the first to experience these lovey dovey feelings that feel specific to us, but we aren’t even the best articulators of these feelings. Do you think you could find your heart in a poem written before you were born? Let’s see! Here’s 5 black love poems you should definitely give a read!
- “You” by Marion Grace Conover
Anybody love their boo through the good and the bad? Well, Mrs. Conover said her boo (maybe not her exact words) is “A bit of heaven, A bit of Hell, Blended together, exceedingly well”. That’s it. That’s the poem. Sometimes how you feel about someone is as simple as a few words. If your boo isn’t perfect but you love them anyway, this one is for you.
- “Love For Lucinda” by Langston Hughes
While love is a beautiful thing, for some of us it is important for us to proceed with caution. Anybody have a habit of getting a little too caught up in love and need to be brought back down to earth? Mr. Hughes can help you with that. He said, “Love, Is a bright star, Glowing in far Southern skies. Look too hard, And its burning flame,Will always hurt your eyes.” This one is for those of us who love love but are familiar with its thorns.
- “Touched By An Angel” by Maya Angelou
Sometimes, to get to love, we must surpass fear. If this sounds like your love story or a lesson you’re learning, Ms. Maya Angelou is talking to you. This poem is perfect for a wedding or even just a casual reflection of love’s power. In this poem, she says, “Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear, from our souls.” Chills! Come to these words of Ms. Maya Angelou if you’re looking for something warm.
- “Awaiting” by Alice E. Furlong
Love isn’t always as easy as one, two, three. It would be nice if we could meet the person for us and be ready to fall in love instantly, but many of us know that love is not this seamless all of the time. “Awaiting” by Alice E. Furlong is for those of us who may have met “the one” and they just weren’t ready. Ms. Furlong really tugs at the heart when she says, “And when the earthly things that now enthrall you, Unbind their clinging tendrils, one by one, Then from some far off, lonely peak I’ll call you.” Wow. If no one around you can understand why you’re waiting on that certain someone to get their act together, here’s a writer who understands you.
- “Beauty That Is Never Old” by James Weldon Johnson
Do you know what it feels like to find your safe place in a person? Have you met someone that feels like an escape from the world? If so, this one’s for you. Mr. Johnson shares what it’s like to find bright love in a world that is dim. He says, “The world, for me, and all the world can hold, Is circled by your arms; for me there lies, Within the lights and shadows of your eyes, The only beauty that is never old.” Imagine being referred to as the only beauty that never grows old. Imagine loving someone so much that you would feel comfortable making such a bold statement. This one is for the current and aspiring lovebirds.
It can be easy to view poems from before our time as ancient and unrelatable, but a poem of love could never expire. I encourage you to give these ancient poems a second look. Maybe you’ll find yourself in them.