Bio from the Poetry Foundation:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/paul-laurence-dunbar

[As we continue to publish poems from the public domain this month, before we transition to work selected by our new poetry editor, we've decided to publish a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, the late-19th and early 20th Century poet who also wrote plays, novels, and essays. Born to freed slaves in 1872, Dunbar achieved international reputation during his relatively short life. This poem cleverly and forcefully illuminates, in its concision and clipped rhythm, the enormous costs the speaker faces for one poor decision.]