Poem by George Moses Horton

George Moses Horton, Myself

I FEEL myself in need
   Of the inspiring strains of ancient lore,
My heart to lift, my empty mind to feed,
   And all the world explore.

I know that I am old
   And never can recover what is past,
But for the future may some light unfold
   And soar from ages blast.

I feel resolved to try,
   My wish to prove, my calling to pursue,
Or mount up from the earth into the sky,
   To show what Heaven can do.

My genius from a boy,
   Has fluttered like a bird within my heart;
But could not thus confined her powers employ,
   Impatient to depart.

She like a restless bird,
   Would spread her wings, her power to be unfurl'd,
And let her songs be loudly heard,
   And dart from world to world. 

1. The Powers of Love
2. The Fate of an Innocent Dog
3. On the Evening and Morning
4. Meditation on a Cold, Dark, and Rainy Night
5. The Eye of Love

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