Portrait

Her eyes? Dark pools of deepest shade,
Like sylvan lakes that lie
In some sequestered forest glade
Beneath a starry sky.

Her cheeks? The ripened chestnut’s hue,—
Rich autumn’s sun-kissed brown!
Caressed by sunbeams dancing through
Red leaves that flutter down.

Her form? A slender pine that sways
Before the murmuring breeze
In summer, when the south wind plays
Soft music through the trees.

Herself? A laughing, joyous sprite
Who smiles from dawn till dark,
As lovely as a summer night
And carefree as a lark.

Credit

From Caroling Dusk (Harper & Brothers, 1927), edited by Countee Cullen. This poem is in the public domain.

Author

George Leonard Allen

George Leonard Allen was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 10, 1905. He was one of nine children. His father, David P. Allen, taught at Lumberton Normal School (later, Whitin Normal School), a secondary school for African American students. One of his pupils included U.S. Representative George Henry White. The elder Allen also managed the school, which remained open until his death. George Allen attended Redstone Academy in Lumberton, where he developed a love of literature, particularly poetry. Allen attended college at Johnson C.

Date Published

01/01/1927