I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life.
I want a peek at the back
Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows.
A girl gets sick of a rose.
I want to go in the back yard now
And maybe down the alley,
To where the charity children play.
I want a good time today.
They do some wonderful things.
They have some wonderful fun.
My mother sneers, but I say it’s fine
How they don’t have to go in at quarter to nine.
My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Mae
Will grow up to be a bad woman.
That George’ll be taken to Jail soon or late
(On account of last winter he sold our back gate).
But I say it’s fine. Honest, I do.
And I’d like to be a bad woman, too,
And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace
And strut down the streets with paint on my face.
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Comments
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Dr. Brooks...phd in life in the real places where real people live, and learn...such a wonderful familiar set of images here used to say some very profound things.so remarkable...PK
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Powerful
From guest Rose (contact)
This poem was a powerful subject for me because I know first handedly how it is to grow up wanting to do what others did, or having the freedom to to go where I want -
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TRUE.
From guest Ashley (contact)
I performed this poem for a part of my school for my 11th grade Creative Writing and Reading teacher. She had us memorize a few poems of our choice, [as long as they were on the 'Poetryoutloud' site, and we comepeted. This poem, everyone loved. And I can see why. Brooks is pure genius in this poem and her words come through so loud and clear. This is one of my favorite poems of all time not only because I can relate to it, but her voice is so strong that she can make a believer out of anyone. -
From guest bryan (contact)
this poem is one of the few reasonably straight-forward poems they have had us read in high school. and the sad thing is, there is a vast multitude of students who dont uderstand it at all. It's clearly little more than Brooks expressing ideas ofrebeelion against socil norms that can be found in some of her other works, such as "We Real Cool" -
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this was very nicely metaphorically put. The backyard a nother side of place she nevre went to. Must this e another place we ourselves want to go. Maybe to joy and life or the backyard of a different life then the one we arlready have.
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From guest svb (contact)
Tsk tsk. Naughty child. Rebelling against the fair boundaries of the front yard? Shame. -
What a wonderful poem. We all need to see how the other half lives since we can all learn from each other. I like the pleasant label used for such a great social division.
I was probably a backyard kid in early childhood but the family moved on and I would have been called frontyard at secondary school.
Jim -
I laugh...
When I was a kid, we couldn't leave the front yard. When we played in the backyard it was done with supervision. WE had wonderful times back there. My parents were inventive. Daddy put up sheets and showed old movies on his Belle & Howell projector. "The Bride of Frankenstein" was our favorite.
We could never go into the one way street alley. That was where the kids who had no direction played. They shot "craps" and smoked weed. WE were not allowed.
I too looked at the girls with red lipstick, and fishnet stockings, and thought I would like to do that someday.
I think Gwendolyn Brooks was remembering her upbringing, and sharing how she was raised. This poem is easy to relate to. Ms. Brooks is a few years older than I but not so far removed.
I'm glad I read this, it took me aback. I laugh because I could have written this poem myself.
Renee -
i remember this poem from jr.high school so many,many years ago,and just wanted to read it once more.i also found several others that i enjoyed.they bought back wonderful memories and renewed my love of poetry
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