#Americans #Blacks (January 2009) Poetry Source:
Gather quickly Out of darkness All the songs you know And throw them at the sun Before they melt
I would liken you To a night without stars Were it not for your eyes. I would liken you To a sleep without dreams
That Justice is a blind goddess Is a thing to which we black are w… Her bandage hides two festering so… That once perhaps were eyes.
I sat there singing her Songs in the dark. She said; 'I do not understand The words’.
I could take the Harlem night and wrap around you, Take the neon lights and make a cr… Take the Lenox Avenue busses, Taxis, subways,
My old mule, He’s gota grin on his face. He’s been a mule so long He’s forgotten about his race. I’m like that old mule —
Tell all my mourners To mourn in red — Cause there ain’t no sense In my bein’ dead.
Listen! Dear dream of utter aliveness— Touching my body of utter death— Tell me, O quickly! dream of aliv… The flaming source of your bright…
The calm, Cool face of the river Asked me for a kiss.
Now dreams Are not available To the dreamers, Nor songs To the singers.
To fling my arms wide In some place of the sun, To whirl and to dance Till the white day is done. Then rest at cool evening
The census man, The day he came round, Wanted my name To put it down. I said, Johnson,
Democracy will not come Today, this year Nor ever Through compromise and fear. I have as much right
Because my mouth Is wide with laughter And my throat Is deep with song, You do not think