In The Wake Of May Poem by Velma Ruth Lenoir

This morn I woke

in the wake of May

I may mourn on this day

this day of silence

this day we pay

this day we prey

I mean pray

I do not pray

But today

I just may

Today I lay

I lay

I lie

I lie today

and mourn the way

the way we pay

today

today

this day in may

I bury

I bury

with berries i dye

this cotton

this cotton

in this cotton I die

I'd say

that I pray

If i died today

cause the lord doesn't mind

if i lied today

under the sky I lay

Underneath the sun so gay

The clouds turn gray

and I say

I say

I think it may rain

And wet my cotton dress so plain

on this bed of grass I lay

I lied

I lied to god today

or so they say

oh my, oh my

my cotton hem has frayed

I should have stayed

I should have laid

in the sun

where I made

lemonade

Where I paid

Where I preyed

I should have prayed today

I just may

stay

forever in the wake of may