POETRY FRIDAY: The White Witch

Here’s a witch poem for October. This poem is not, however, about the kind of Halloween crone one typically envisions as an old hag wearing a black cape and peaked hat who travels through the air on a broom. This “witch” is more of an enchantress with lips red as carnations, eyes blue as the ocean, and hair of gold.


The White Witch
by James Weldon Johnson

O brothers mine, take care! Take care!
The great white witch rides out to-night.
Trust not your prowess nor your strength,
Your only safety lies in flight;
For in her glance there is a snare,
And in her smile there is a blight.

The great white witch you have not seen?
Then, younger brothers mine, forsooth,
Like nursery children you have looked
For ancient hag and snaggle-tooth;
But no, not so; the witch appears
In all the glowing charms of youth.

Her lips are like carnations, red,
Her face like new-born lilies, fair,
Her eyes like ocean waters, blue,
She moves with subtle grace and air,
And all about her head there floats
The golden glory of her hair.


You can read the rest of the poem here.

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At Wild Rose Reader, I have the third in my series of Palinoems.

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Picture Book of the Day.