Selected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes

him
    Than I awoke.
    The doctor said, Madam,
    Your fever’s broke—
    Nurse, put her on a diet,
    And buy her some chicken.
    I said, Better buy
two—
    Cause I’m still here kickin’!
Madam and the Minister
    Reverend Butler came by
    My house last week.
    He said, Have you got
    A little time to speak?
    He said, I am interested
    In your soul.
    Has it been saved,
    Or is your heart stone-cold?
    I said, Reverend,
    I’ll have you know
    I was baptized
    Long ago.
    He said, What have you
    Done since then?
    I said, None of your
    Business, friend.
    He said, Sister
    Have you back-slid?
    I said, It felt good—
    If I did!
    He said, Sister,
    Come time to die,
    The Lord will surely
    Ask you why!
    I’m gonna pray
    For you!
    Goodbye!
    I felt kinder sorry
    I talked that way
    After Rev. Butler
    Went away—
    So I ain’t in no mood
    For sin today.
Madam and Her Might-Have-Been
    I had two husbands.
    I could of had three—
    But my Might-Have-Been
    Was too good for me.
    When you grow up the hard way
    Sometimes you don’t know
    What’s too good to be true,
    Just might be so.
    He worked all the time,
    Spent his money on me—
    First time in my life
    I had anything free.
    I said, Do you love me?
    Or am I mistaken?
    You’re always giving
    And never taking.
    He said, Madam, I swear
    All I want is you.
    Right then and there
    I knowed we was through!
    I told him, Jackson,
    You better leave—
    You got some’n else
    Up your sleeve:
    When you think you got bread
    It’s always a stone—
    Nobody loves nobody
    For yourself alone.
    He said, In me
    You’ve got no trust.
    I said, I don’t want
    My heart to bust.
Madam and the Census Man
    The census man,
    The day he came round,
    Wanted my name
    To put it down.
    I said, JOHNSON,
    ALBERTA K.
    But he hated to write
    The K that way.
    He said, What
    Does K stand for?
    I said, K—
    And nothing more.
    He said, I’m gonna put it
    K—A—Y.
    I said, If you do,
    You lie.
    My mother christened me
    ALBERTA K.
    You leave my name
    Just that way!
    He said, Mrs.,
    (With a snort)
    Just a K
    Makes your name too short.
    I said, I don’t
    Give a damn!
    Leave me and my name
    Just like I am!
    Furthermore, rub out
    That MRS., too—
    I’ll have you know
    I’m
Madam
to you!

MONTAGE
OF A
DREAM
DEFERRED
Dream Boogie
    Good morning, daddy!
    Ain’t you heard
    The boogie-woogie rumble
    Of a dream deferred?
    Listen closely:
    You’ll hear their feet
    Beating out and beating out a—
        
You think
        
It’s a happy beat?
    Listen to it closely:
    Ain’t you heard
    something underneath
    like a—
        
What did I say?
    Sure,
    I’m happy!
    Take it away!
        
Hey, pop!
        
Re-bop!
        
Mop!
        
Y-e-a-h!
Parade
    Seven ladies
    and seventeen gentlemen
    at the Elks Club Lounge
    planning planning a parade:
    Grand Marshal in his white suit
    will lead it.
    Cadillacs with dignitaries
    will precede it.
    And behind will come
    with band and drum
    on foot … on foot …
    on foot …
    Motorcycle cops,
    white,
    will speed it
    out of sight
    if they can:
    Solid black,
    can’t be right.
    Marching … marching …
    marching …
    noon till night …
        
I never knew
        
that many Negroes
        
were on earth
,
        
did you?
        
I never knew!
                                            PARADE!
        A chance to let
                                            PARADE!
        the whole world see
                                            PARADE!
        old black me!
Children’s Rhymes
    When I was a chile we used to play,
    “One—two—buckle my shoe!”
    and things like that. But now, Lord,
    listen at them little varmints!
        
By what sends
        
the white