"Ebony Woman" by Nicki Mathis - a poem

"I wrote this in 1986, as a tribute to Black Women"





"EBONY WOMAN"
by Nicki Mathis

Beautiful are your eyes
Strong, creative, and tender
are your hands
Spiritual is the heart
of my Black sisters

Your eyes are the eyes of the world
Sparkling in the sunlight
Glowing in the moonlight
Girl, I see you dancing in the twilight

Your hands are the hands that weave
webs of life's mysteries
Place me in your stories
Taste the nectar of your love
Bear the fruit of your trees

Sing a song of love and praise
Your adventurous spirit is ageless
You leave me more than misty haze
For my song of love and praise
You foretell all the mazes
To make my life's mirror
So much clearer

I told you about my first love affair
This time before I wake
Listen to my dreamlife without care
And my last heartbreak

My courageous sisters
You cheered me on
You ran this race before me
You taught the lesson so well
You left a priceless legacy
You loved the world enough to tell
All the time you showed me
I can choose not to fail

Now it’s your brilliance
That I bask in
You breathe the breath of life
And it’s I who’s asking
To see the mold that you’re casting
It’s everlasting, everlasting, everlasting

And ever beautiful
You’re the richest of all my treasures
Or how else can I measure
What my life is meant to be
You have made me see
The Universe in me

So I sing my love song to you
I need to be with you girl
I’m so lost without you, and you, and you
My mother you are beautiful
Sister you are beautiful
My love and my friend
You are beautiful