The Tired Worker
July 5, 2023One Year After
July 5, 2023Rest in Peace
No more for you the city’s thorny ways,
The ugly corners of the Negro belt;
The miseries and pains of these harsh days
By you will never, never again be felt.
No more, if still you wander, will you meet
With nights of unabating bitterness;
They cannot reach you in your safe retreat,
The city’s hate, the city’s prejudice!
‘Twas sudden–but your menial task is done,
The dawn now breaks on you, the dark is over,
The sea is crossed, the longed-for port is won;
Farewell, oh, fare you well! my friend and lover.
Claude McKay
Claude McKay (1889-1948) was a Jamaican poet, novelist, and social activist who was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His work often explores the experiences of black people in America and Jamaica, as well as issues of race, colonialism, and identity. His notable works include "Songs of Jamaica," "Banjo," and "Harlem Shadows."