Mot

hert
oSon
Langst
onHughes

Well,son, I
’ll tellyou:
Lif
eformeai n’ tbeennocr ystalstair
.
It
’shadt acksi nit,
Andspl inter s,
Andboar dst or nup,
Andpl aceswi thnocar petont hefloor—
Bare.
Butallthet i
me
I’
sebeena- climbi n’ on,
Andr eachi n’ landi n’
s,
Andt urnin’ cor ner s,
Andsomet imesgoi n’i
nthedar k
Wher ether eai n’tbeennol i
ght .
Soboy ,don’ ty out ur nback.
Don’tyousetdownont hest eps
’
Causey ouf indsi t’skinderhar d.
Don’tyouf all now—
ForI’
sest i
ll goi n’
, honey,
I’
sest i
llcli
mbi n’,
Andlifef ormeai n’tbeennocr ystalst
air.
Har
lem/Dr
eam def
err
ed
Langst
onHughes

Whathappenst
oadr
eam def
err
ed?

 
  
  
 Doesitdr yup
 
  
  
 l
ikearaisininthesun?
 
  
  
 Orfesterlikeasor
e—
 
  
  
 Andthenr un?
 
  
  
 Doesitst i
nkli
kerott
enmeat
?
 
  
  
 Orcrustandsugarov er
—
 
  
  
 l
ikeasy rupysweet?

 
  
  
 Maybeitj
ustsags
 
  
  
 l
ikeaheavyl
oad.

 
  
  
 Ordoesi
texpl
ode?
Democr
acy
/Fr
eedom
Langst
onHughes

Freedom wi l
l notcome
Today , t
hisy ear
 
  
   
  
   Norev er
Throughcompr omi seandf ear.
 
Ihav easmuchr ight
Ast heot herf ell
owhas
 
  
   
  
   Tost and
Onmyt wof eet
Andownt hel and.
 
Iti
resoofhear ingpeopl esay ,
Letthi ngstaket heircour se.
Tomor rowisanot herday .
Idonotneedmyf reedom whenI ’
m dead.
Icannotl iveont omor row’sbread.
 
  
   
  
   Freedom
 
  
   
  
   Isast rongseed
 
  
   
  
   Planted
 
  
   
  
   Inagr eatneed.
 
  
   
  
   Ili
veher e, too.
 
  
   
  
   Iwantmyf reedom
 
  
   
  
   Justasy ou.   
 Tul
ips
Syl
viaPl
ath

Thetuli
psar et ooexcitable,i
tiswinterher e.
Lookhowwhi t
eever yt
hingis,howqui et,howsnowed- i
n.  
 
Iam l
ear ningpeacef ul
ness,lyi
ngbymy selfquiet
ly
Asthelightliesont hesewhi tewalls,thisbed, t
hesehands.  
 
Iam nobody ;Ihavenot hingtodowi thexpl osi
ons. 
  
Ihavegiv enmynameandmyday -clothesupt ot henurses 
  
Andmyhi storytotheanest heti
standmybodyt osurgeons.

Theyhav eproppedmyheadbet weent hepi l

lowandt hesheet-
cuf
f 
  
Li
keaney ebetweentwowhi teli
dst hatwi llnotshut.
Stupi
dpupi l
,i
thast ot
akeev eryt
hingi n.
Thenursespassandpass, t
heyar enot rouble,
Theypasst hewaygullspassi nl
andi nt heirwhitecaps,
Doingthingswiththei
rhands,onej ustt hesameasanot her,
  
 
Soitisimpossibletot
ellhowmanyt herear e.

Mybodyisapebbl et othem,theytenditaswat er
Tendstothepebblesi tmustrunov er
,smoothingthem gent
ly.
Theybri
ngmenumbnessi ntheirbri
ghtneedl
es, t
heybri
ngmesl eep.
  
 
NowIhav elostmy sel
fIam sickofbaggage——
Mypatentleatheroverni
ghtcaselikeablackpill
box,
  
 
Myhusbandandchi l
dsmi l
ingoutofthefamilyphoto;
  
 
Thei
rsmilescatchont omyski n,l
i
ttl
esmili
nghooks.

Ihaveletthi
ngssl i
p,athi
rty-
year-
oldcar goboat  
 
stubbornl
yhangingont omynameandaddr ess.
Theyhav eswabbedmecl earofmyl ovingassociati
ons. 
  
Scaredandbar eont hegr
eenpl ast
ic-pi
llowedtroll
ey 
  
Iwatchedmyt easet,mybur eausoflinen,mybooks   
 
Sinkoutofsight,andthewat erwentov ermyhead.  
  
Iam anunnow, Ihaveneverbeensopur e.

Idi
dn’twantanyf l
owers,Ionlywanted
Toliewithmyhandst urnedupandbeut terlyempt y
.
Howf reeitis,youhavenoi deahowf ree——
Thepeacef ulnessissobigitdazesy ou,
Anditasksnot hi
ng,anamet ag,afewt ri
nket s.
Iti
swhatt hedeadcl oseon, f
inal
l
y;Iimagi net hem  
 
Shutti
ngthei rmouthsoni t
,li
keaCommuni ont abl
et.
  
 

Thet
uli
psar
etoor
edi
nthef
ir
stpl
ace,
theyhur
tme.
EventhroughthegiftpaperIcoul
dheart hem breathe  
 
Li
ghtl
y,throughtheirwhit
eswaddlings,l
ikeanawf ulbaby. 
  
Thei
rrednesst al
kst omywound, i
tcorresponds.
Theyaresubt l
e:theyseem tofl
oat,thoughtheywei ghmedown,
 
  
Upset
tingmewi t
htheirsuddentonguesandt heircolor
, 
  
Adozenr edleadsinkersroundmyneck.

Nobodywat chedmebef ore,nowIam wat ched. 

  
Thetul
ipsturnt ome,andt hewi ndowbehindme
Whereonceadayt helightslowlywidensandsl owlythi
ns,
 
  
AndIseemy self
,fl
at,
ridi
culous, acut
-papershadow   
Bet
weent heey eofthesunandt heeyesoft hetuli
ps, 
  
AndIhavenof ace,
Ihav ewant edtoeffacemy sel
f.
   
Theviv
idtuli
pseatmyoxy gen.

Beforetheycamet heairwascalm enough,

Comingandgoi ng,breathbybreath,withoutanyfuss.
  
 
Thent hetul
i
psf i
ll
editupli
keal oudnoi se.
Nowt heairsnagsandeddi esroundt hem thewayar i
ver 
  
Snagsandeddi esroundasunkenr ust-
redengine.
  
 
Theyconcentratemyat t
ention,t
hatwashappy  
  
Playi
ngandr esti
ngwithoutcommi tti
ngi t
self
.

Thewall
s,al
so, seem t
obewar mingthemsel ves.
Thetul
i
psshoul dbebehindbar sl
ikedanger ousanimals;
  
 
Theyar
eopeni ngliket
hemout hofsomegr eatAfricancat
, 
  
AndIam awar eofmyhear t
: i
topensandcl oses
I
tsbowlofredbl oomsoutofsheerl oveofme.
ThewaterItasteiswarm andsalt,l
ikethesea,
Andcomesf rom acountr
yf arawayasheal th.
Iam Ver
ti
cal
Syl
viaPl
ath
ButIwouldratherbehor izont
al.
Iam notatreewithmyr ootinthesoil
Sucki
ngupmi ner
alsandmot herl
ylove
SothateachMar chImaygl eam int
ol eaf
,
Noram Ithebeautyofagar denbed
Att
racti
ngmyshar eofAhsandspect acular
lypai
nted,
UnknowingImustsoonunpet al
.
Comparedwi thme, atreeisimmor tal
Andaf l
ower-headnott all
,butmor estart
li
ng,
AndIwanttheone’ slongev i
tyandt heother
’sdar
ing.
Tonight,inthei nfi
nit
esimal l
ightofthest ars,
Thet r
eesandf lowershav ebeenst r
ewi ngt heircoolodor
s.
Iwalkamongt hem, butnoneoft hem arenot i
cing.
Somet imesIt hinkthatwhenIam sl eepi ng
Imustmostper fectl
yresembl ethem–
Thought sgonedi m.
Iti
smor enatural t
ome, l
yingdown.
Thent heskyandIar ei
nopenconv ersation,
AndIshal lbeusef ul whenIliedownf inally
:
Thet r
eesmayt ouchmef oronce,andt hef lowershaveti
meforme.
Mi
rror
Syl
viaPl
ath
Iam sil
verandexact .Ihavenopr econceptions.
WhateverIseeIswal lowi mmedi ately
Justasitis,
unmi stedbyl oveordi sli
ke.
Iam notcruel
, onlytr
uthful‚
Theey eofalit
t l
egod, f
our -
cornered.
Mostoft heti
meImedi tateont heopposi tewall.
Iti
spink,wit
hspeckl es.Ihav elookedati tsolong
Ithi
nkitispartofmyhear t.Butitfli
ckers.
Facesanddar knesssepar ateusov erandov er.

NowIam al ake.Awomanbendsov erme,

Searchingmyr eachesf orwhatsher eall
yis.
Thenshet urnstot hosel i
ars,t
hecandl esorthemoon.
Iseeherback, andr efl
ectitfai
thful
ly.
Sher ewardsmewi thtearsandanagi tat
ionofhands.
Iam impor t
anttoher .Shecomesandgoes.
Eachmor ningitisherf acethatreplacest hedarkness.
Inmeshehasdr owneday ounggi r
l,andinmeanol dwoman
Risestowardherdayaf terday,li
keat err
iblefi
sh.