| James Weldon Johnson, ed. (1871–1938). The Book of American Negro Poetry. 1922. |
| |
| I Want to Die While You Love Me |
| | | Georgia Douglas Johnson |
| |
| |
| I WANT to die while you love me, | |
| While yet you hold me fair, | |
| While laughter lies upon my lips | |
| And lights are in my hair. | |
| |
| I want to die while you love me, | 5 |
| And bear to that still bed, | |
| Your kisses turbulent, unspent | |
| To warm me when I’m dead. | |
| |
| I want to die while you love me | |
| Oh, who would care to live | 10 |
| Till love has nothing more to ask | |
| And nothing more to give! | |
| |
| I want to die while you love me | |
| And never, never see | |
| The glory of this perfect day | 15 |
| Grow dim or cease to be. | |
| |
|
|
|
