kids
I ain’t sent:
I know I can’t
be President
.
There is two thousand children
in this block, I do believe!
What don’t bug
them white kids
sure bugs me:
We knows everybody
ain’t free!
Some of these young ones is cert’ly bad—
One batted a hard ball right through my window
and my gold fish et the glass.
What’s written down
for white folks
ain’t for us a-tall:
“Liberty And Justice—
Huh—For All.”
Oop-pop-a-da!
Skee! Daddle-de-do!
Be-bop!
Salt’peanuts!
De-dop!
Sister
That little Negro’s married and got a kid.
Why does he keep on foolin’ around Marie?
Marie’s my sister—not married to me—
But why does he keep on foolin’ around Marie?
Why don’t she get a boy-friend
I can understand—some decent man?
Did it ever occur to you, son
,
the reason Marie runs around with trash
is she wants some cash?
Don’t decent folks have dough?
Unfortunately usually no!
Well, anyway, it don’t have to be a married man.
Did it ever occur to you, boy
,
that a woman does the best she can?
Comment on Stoop
So does a man
.
Preference
I likes a woman
six or eight and ten years older’n myself.
I don’t fool with these young girls.
Young girl’ll say,
Daddy, I want so-and-so
.
I needs this, that, and the other
.
But a old woman’ll say
,
Honey, what does YOU need?
I just drawed my money tonight
and it’s all your’n
.
That’s why I likes a older woman
who can appreciate me:
When she conversations you
it ain’t forever,
Gimme!
Necessity
Work?
I don’t have to work.
I don’t have to do nothing
but eat, drink, stay black, and die.
This little old furnished room’s
so small I can’t whip a cat
without getting fur in my mouth
and my landlady’s so old
her features is all run together
and God knows she sure can overcharge—
Which is why I reckon I
does
have to work after all.
Question
Said the lady,
Can you do
what my other man can’t do—
That is
love me, daddy—
and feed me, too?
Figurine
De-dop!
Buddy
That kid’s my buddy,
still and yet
I don’t see him much.
He works downtown for Twelve a week.
Has to give his mother Ten—
she says he can have
the other Two
to pay his carfare, buy a suit,
coat, shoes,
anything he wants out of it.
Juke Box Love Song
I could take the Harlem night
and wrap around you,
Take the neon lights and make a crown,
Take the Lenox Avenue busses,
Taxis, subways,
And for your love song tone their rumble down.
Take Harlem’s heartbeat,
Make a drumbeat,
Put it on a record, let it whirl,
And while we listen to it play,
Dance with you till day—
Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.
Ultimatum
Baby, how come you can’t see me
when I’m paying your bills
each and every week?
If you got somebody else,
tell me—
else I’ll cut you off
without your rent.
I mean
without a cent.
Warning
Daddy,
don’t let your dog
curb you!
Croon
I don’t give a damn
For Alabam’
Even if it is my home.
New Yorkers
I was born here,
that’s no lie, he said,
right here beneath God’s sky.
I wasn’t born here, she said
,
I come—and why?
Where I come from
folks work hard
all their lives
until they die
and never own no parts
of earth nor sky
So I come up here
.
Now what’ve I
I ain’t sent:
I know I can’t
be President
.
There is two thousand children
in this block, I do believe!
What don’t bug
them white kids
sure bugs me:
We knows everybody
ain’t free!
Some of these young ones is cert’ly bad—
One batted a hard ball right through my window
and my gold fish et the glass.
What’s written down
for white folks
ain’t for us a-tall:
“Liberty And Justice—
Huh—For All.”
Oop-pop-a-da!
Skee! Daddle-de-do!
Be-bop!
Salt’peanuts!
De-dop!
Sister
That little Negro’s married and got a kid.
Why does he keep on foolin’ around Marie?
Marie’s my sister—not married to me—
But why does he keep on foolin’ around Marie?
Why don’t she get a boy-friend
I can understand—some decent man?
Did it ever occur to you, son
,
the reason Marie runs around with trash
is she wants some cash?
Don’t decent folks have dough?
Unfortunately usually no!
Well, anyway, it don’t have to be a married man.
Did it ever occur to you, boy
,
that a woman does the best she can?
Comment on Stoop
So does a man
.
Preference
I likes a woman
six or eight and ten years older’n myself.
I don’t fool with these young girls.
Young girl’ll say,
Daddy, I want so-and-so
.
I needs this, that, and the other
.
But a old woman’ll say
,
Honey, what does YOU need?
I just drawed my money tonight
and it’s all your’n
.
That’s why I likes a older woman
who can appreciate me:
When she conversations you
it ain’t forever,
Gimme!
Necessity
Work?
I don’t have to work.
I don’t have to do nothing
but eat, drink, stay black, and die.
This little old furnished room’s
so small I can’t whip a cat
without getting fur in my mouth
and my landlady’s so old
her features is all run together
and God knows she sure can overcharge—
Which is why I reckon I
does
have to work after all.
Question
Said the lady,
Can you do
what my other man can’t do—
That is
love me, daddy—
and feed me, too?
Figurine
De-dop!
Buddy
That kid’s my buddy,
still and yet
I don’t see him much.
He works downtown for Twelve a week.
Has to give his mother Ten—
she says he can have
the other Two
to pay his carfare, buy a suit,
coat, shoes,
anything he wants out of it.
Juke Box Love Song
I could take the Harlem night
and wrap around you,
Take the neon lights and make a crown,
Take the Lenox Avenue busses,
Taxis, subways,
And for your love song tone their rumble down.
Take Harlem’s heartbeat,
Make a drumbeat,
Put it on a record, let it whirl,
And while we listen to it play,
Dance with you till day—
Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.
Ultimatum
Baby, how come you can’t see me
when I’m paying your bills
each and every week?
If you got somebody else,
tell me—
else I’ll cut you off
without your rent.
I mean
without a cent.
Warning
Daddy,
don’t let your dog
curb you!
Croon
I don’t give a damn
For Alabam’
Even if it is my home.
New Yorkers
I was born here,
that’s no lie, he said,
right here beneath God’s sky.
I wasn’t born here, she said
,
I come—and why?
Where I come from
folks work hard
all their lives
until they die
and never own no parts
of earth nor sky
So I come up here
.
Now what’ve I
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