James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. (Click here for full Wikipedia article)
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A wonderful time- the War:
When money rolled in
And blood rolled
out.
But blood was far away
From here-
Money was near.
Blues had the pulse beat of the people who keep on going.
Folks, I'm telling you,
birthing is hard
and dying is mean-
so
get yourself
a little loving
in between.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That
cannot fly.
Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on
tomorrow’s bread.
Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In
a great need.
I live here, too.
I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.
I swear to the Lord
I still can't see
Why Democracy means
Everybody
but me.
I will not take 'but' for an answer.
It's such a Bore
Being always Poor.
Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
Life is a system of half-truths and lies, Opportunistic, convenient evasion.
No woman can be handsome by the force of features alone, any more that she can be witty by only the help of speech.
Oh, God of Dust and Rainbows,
Help us to see
That without the dust
the rainbow
Would not be.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in
the sun?
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(February 1 is also the birthday of S.J. Perelman.)
Categories: Langston Hughes, Quotes of the day
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