#AmericanWriters #BlackWriters
Democracy will not come Today, this year Nor ever Through compromise and fear. I have as much right
God in His infinite wisdom Did not make me very wise— So when my actions are stupid They hardly take God by surprise
I would liken you To a night without stars Were it not for your eyes. I would liken you To a sleep without dreams
You and your whole race. Look down upon the town in which y… And be ashamed. Look down upon white folks And upon yourselves
It would be nice In any case, To someday meet you Face to face Walking down
Oh, silver tree! Oh, shining rivers of the soul! In a Harlem cabaret Six long—headed jazzers play. A dancing girl whose eyes are bold
Only dumb guys fight. If I wasn’t dumb I wouldn’t be fightin’. I could make six dollars a day On the docks
In the Quarter of the Negroes Where the doors are doors of paper Dust of dingy atoms Blows a scratchy sound. Amorphous jack—o’—Lanterns caper
And that is what poetry may do, wrap up your dreams, protect and preserve and hold them until maybe they come true. Columbus dreamed of finding a new world, he found it. Edison dreamed ...
Being walkers with the dawn and mo… Walkers with the sun and morning, We are not afraid of night, Nor days of gloom, Nor darkness—
'Me an’ ma baby’s Got two mo’ ways, Two mo’ ways to do de Charleston!… Da, da, Da, da, da!
Big Boy came Carrying a mermaid On his shoulders And the mermaid Had her tail
By what sends the white kids I ain’t sent: I know I can’t be President.
I am your son, white man! Georgia dusk And the turpentine woods. One of the pillars of the temple f… You are my son!
Tell all my mourners To mourn in red — Cause there ain’t no sense In my bein’ dead.
