In honor of Valentine's Day, let's trade out the candy for romantic words instead. Poetry is a form of art that is universal and while some may think it's a lost art the truth is it's not! There are plenty of people out there who appreciate the craft and the community of poets.
We all know how we felt the first time we heard "Brother To The Night: A Blues For Nina" by Darius in Love Jones. It was so relatable, sensual, romantic, sexy and artistic. The way words dance around emotions and engage your attention in every way is a special thing and for Valentine’s Day we encourage you to infuse some of these love poems written by Black poets into your celebration. Snuggle up with bae, grab a glass of wine, light some candles, run a bubble bath and enjoy the eloquent and captivating poems below!
1. Touched By An Angel, Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love’s light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free
2. "Rescued" by Frannie
For years my heart was guarded, protected from the world.
But somehow you have disarmed me, opened and unfurled.
You’ve taken me, broken and damaged, mishandled and hurled.
Yet you see me as delicate and dainty, so precious and pearled.
Everything’s not perfect but it sure is beautiful here.
Your smile so bright with a voice I just love to hear.
Your touch, so gentle I just want to have you near.
I love your energy and your presence, you make everyone else disappear.
He has captured my trust and that’s something not easily given.
He has made all my worries forgotten and all of my heartache is forgiven.
His mission was to win my heart and made his goal clear, he was driven.
After plenty of chances to earn my trust, I’d finally decided to give in.
I feel so loved, so valued, so cared for so protected.
He has won me over and I doubt I’ll ever regret it.
To a man who truly cares for me and satisfies my every need.
For you have saved me from my darkness, and my heart you have freed.
3. "Jungle Love" by Heather Hill
Your sweet nectar
wraps around my senses
like jungle vines
steady drums beating
Your heart near mine
Your strong hands
hold me suspended
by my waist
Just enough pain and strength
against my supple skin
For my taste
The musk of your
sculpted body and the forest
has me going wild
But yet, the tender way you
protect me, reminds me of
Being a child
A safe familiarity
with a strain of animalistic
seduction
Your invisible hold over me
leaves me arrow poisoned
Unable to function
My long dark hair wraps you
with smells of coconut and ocean Sun
your locks full of mud and enemies
Blood together, my warrior
We make One
4. "And I Have You" by Nikki Giovanni
Rain has drops
Sun has shine
Moon has beams
That make you mine
Rivers have banks
Sands for shores
Hearts have heartbeats
That make me yours
Needles have eyes
Though pins may prick
Elmer has glue
To make things stick
Winter has Spring
Stockings feet
Pepper has mint
To make it sweet
Teachers have lessons
Soup du jour
Lawyers sue bad folks
Doctors cure
All and all
This much is true
You have me
And I have you
5. "A Woman's Voice" by Isaiah N. Johnson
I had a friend ask me what was my favorite feature about a woman
My reply, a woman’s voice
Really, you mean to tell me It’s not nice toes, nice legs, nice thighs, fat ass, slim thick, 34 C cup, pretty smile, cute nose, real hair
Naw. All that is necessary for my Johnson
But my soul is attracted to how a woman sound
Before I even lay eyes on her, I wanna be like… where is that sound coming from
Is that somebody talking, or singing a lullaby
The voice I’m attracted to is soft and baby like
You know, like someone that got in trouble and trying to get their way out of it. In a baby like tone
That’s the voice, that gets my knees weak and body discombobulated
I love that sound of a woman’s voice
Not only am I attracted to the tone
I’m also attracted to “formation of words”
It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it
How do you pick up the phone
Heeellllloooooo
Hiiiiieeeee
Hey sweetie
Or just a regular hello
On the flip, let a woman say my name with some sauce
You got me
Zayah
Isaiah
Zaddy
Can I Zayah all over your Johnson
What?!
I love creative sh*t
And yes you can,
I know this is basic, but I love creative language
So far, when it comes to a woman’s voice
I love the tone, formation of words or word patterns
Lastly, when it comes to a woman’s voice
I love when a woman can share some wisdom
What can you teach me
Can you teach me a different language, can you teach me a word I don’t know
Are you correcting me when I say something wrong
Are you saying something that is feeding my spirit positively
You better not be, smacking your lips
Using cuss words because you don’t know any other words, for a replacement
Always talking about someone else… just out of pure hate.
I don’t like how that sounds
But all in all, I need that voice to be seductive
If a woman has a nice seductive voice
You got me
(Audio form) https://unitedmasters.com/m/6201ba46daee914625d217a3
Check out more of their work here! linktr.ee/isaiahnjohnson1
6. "Sea Salt" by Melissa Pens It Down
Two feet in the sand
Drifting parallel to the shore
It's something about the waves
How his hand brushes up against mine,
Calming the breeze between us
His six to my five, no shade anywhere
But he could cover me
If only I needed more than this and let the waves drown me
Risk
Check out more of their work here! linktr.ee/MelissaPensIt
7. "INVITATION TO LOVE" BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
Come when the nights are bright with stars
Or come when the moon is mellow;
Come when the sun his golden bars
Drops on the hay-field yellow.
Come in the twilight soft and gray,
Come in the night or come in the day,
Come, O love, whene’er you may,
And you are welcome, welcome.
You are sweet, O Love, dear Love,
You are soft as the nesting dove.
Come to my heart and bring it to rest
As the bird flies home to its welcome nest.
Come when my heart is full of grief
Or when my heart is merry;
Come with the falling of the leaf
Or with the redd’ning cherry.
Come when the year’s first blossom blows,
Come when the summer gleams and glows,
Come with the winter’s drifting snows,
And you are welcome, welcome
