That brown girl's swagger gives a twitch
To beauty like a Queen,
Lad, never damn your body's itch
When loveliness is seen.
For there is ample room for bliss
In pride in clean brown limbs,
And lips know better how to kiss
Than how to raise white hymns.
And when your body's death gives birth
To soil for spring to crown,
Men will not ask if that rare earth
Was white flesh once, or brown.
Notes
Now try Cullen's "To a Brown Girl" http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/52569-Countee-Cullen-To-A-Brown-Girl
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
-
Pure poetry, the poet doesn't shout nor parade his points but makes them with a freeflowing stream of rhyme, a lovely and lively usage of grammar, a strong beginning rolling effortlessly into the body of the poem and an ending that is water tight, resonating with the thoughts sprung freely from writer to reader. As pertinent today re racism as it was when penned. In our politically correct society today not many white writers would use a title like To A Brown Boy and yet why not celebrate /appreciate this colour/every/all colours without the need for metaphor? Thoroughly enjoyed this classical poem. It reminds me of a story re the singer/writer Van Morrison. He originally wrote and recorded a song titled " My Brown Skinned Girl " ( decades ago ) His record company insisted he changed the title and hey presto, it became " My Brown Eyed Girl"
-
What eloquent words to advocate such an earth shattering match. Mixed race affairs were unusual in Cullen's day but he clearly see's nothing wrong in them.
"Men will not ask if that rare earth
Was white flesh once, or brown." -
-
Adding your comment:
