I could take the Harlem night
and wrap around you,
Take the neon lights and make a crown,
Take the Lenox Avenue busses,
Taxis, subways,
And for your love song tone their rumble down.
Take Harlem’s heartbeat,
Make a drumbeat,
Put it on a record, let it whirl,
And while we listen to it play,
Dance with you till day–
Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.
I really like this love poem because it gives me a glimpse into life in Renaissance Harlem of the 1920’s. As an artist/writer, it would have been wonderful to be a part of that period – creating and loving in Renaissance Harlem.
For this poem, I imagine the poet lover is young with an energetic love for the woman he refers to in this poem. We all should have a lover to serenade us with this juke box love song.
