{"poem":{"id":"D807569D-E01B-5699-956A-B6454013B30E","title":"Adolescence","content":"There was a time when in late afternoon\n  The four-o’clocks would fold up at day’s close\nPink-white in prayer, and ’neath the floating moon\n  I lay with them in calm and sweet repose.\n\nAnd in the open spaces I could sleep,\n  Half-naked to the shining worlds above;\nPeace came with sleep and sleep was long and deep,\n  Gained without effort, sweet like early love.\n\nBut now no balm—nor drug nor weed nor wine—\n  Can bring true rest to cool my body’s fever,\nNor sweeten in my mouth the acid brine,\n  That salts my choicest drink and will forever.","author":"Claude McKay","source":"api","sourceName":"Harlem Shadows (1922) · Project Gutenberg","sourceURL":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/64989/pg64989-images.html#ADOLESCENCE","rightsNotice":"Public domain in the United States.","rightsURL":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","publicationYear":1922},"date":"2026-09-23","timezone":"UTC","selection":"bundled","fallback":false}