On Being Brought from Africa to America

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1. One Being Brought From Africa To America ‘TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought now knew, Some view our sable race with scornful eye, ‘Their colour is a diabolic die.’ Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join […]...
2. To The Genius Of Africa O thou who from the mountain’s height Roll’st down thy clouds with all their weight Of waters to old Niles majestic tide; Or o’er the dark sepulchral plain Recallest thy Palmyra’s ancient pride, Amid whose desolated domes Secure the savage chacal roams, Where from the fragments of the hallow’d fane The Arabs rear their miserable […]...
3. How They Brought The Good News From Ghent To Aix I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he; I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three; “Good speed!” cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew; “Speed!” echoed the wall to us galloping through; Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest, And into the midnight we galloped abreast. Not a word to each […]...
4. America America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing. America two dollars and twentyseven cents January 17, 1956. I can’t stand my own mind. America when will we end the human war? Go fuck yourself with your atom bomb. I don’t feel good don’t bother me. I won’t write my poem till I’m in my […]...
5. On Seeing A Piece Of Our Artillery Brought Into Action Be slowly lifted up, thou long black arm, Great gun towering towards Heaven, about to curse; Sway steep against them, and for years rehearse Huge imprecations like a blasting charm! Reach at that Arrogance which needs thy harm, And beat it down before its sins grow worse; Spend our resentment, cannon, yea, disburse Our gold […]...
6. Jubal and Tubal Cain Canadian Jubal sang of the Wrath of God And the curse of thistle and thorn But Tubal got him a pointed rod, And scrabbled the earth for corn. Old old as that early mould, Young as the sprouting grain Yearly green is the strife between Jubal and Tubal Cain! Jubal sang of the new-found sea, […]...
7. The Bread-Knife Ballad A little child was sitting Up on her mother’s knee And down down her cheeks the bitter tears did flow. And as I sadly listened I heard this tender plea, ‘Twas uttered in a voice so soft and low. “Not guilty” said the Jury And the Judge said “Set her free, But remember it must […]...
8. A Farewel To America to Mrs. S. W I. ADIEU, New-England’s smiling meads, Adieu, the flow’ry plain: I leave thine op’ning charms, O spring, And tempt the roaring main. II. In vain for me the flow’rets rise, And boast their gaudy pride, While here beneath the northern skies I mourn for health deny’d. III. Celestial maid of rosy hue, O let me feel […]...
9. Africa The sun sought thy dim bed and brought forth light, The sciences were sucklings at thy breast; When all the world was young in pregnant night Thy slaves toiled at thy monumental best. Thou ancient treasure-land, thou modern prize, New peoples marvel at thy pyramids! The years roll on, thy sphinx of riddle eyes Watches […]...
10. A Far Cry From Africa A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt Of Africa, Kikuyu, quick as flies, Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt. Corpses are scattered through a paradise. Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries: “Waste no compassion on these separate dead!” Statistics justify and scholars seize The salients of colonial policy. What is that to the […]...
11. South Africa 1903 Lived a woman wonderful, (May the Lord amend her!) Neither simple, kind, nor true, But her Pagan beauty drew Christian gentlemen a few Hotly to attend her. Christian gentlemen a few From Berwick unto Dover; For she was South Africa, Ana she was South Africa, She was Our South Africa, Africa all over! Half […]...
12. America I Where the wings of a sunny Dome expand I saw a Banner in gladsome air- Starry, like Berenice’s Hair- Afloat in broadened bravery there; With undulating long-drawn flow, As rolled Brazilian billows go Voluminously o’er the Line. The Land reposed in peace below; The children in their glee Were folded to the exulting heart […]...
13. Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead Home they brought her warrior dead: She nor swooned, nor uttered cry: All her maidens, watching, said, ‘She must weep or she will die.’ Then they praised him, soft and low, Called him worthy to be loved, Truest friend and noblest foe; Yet she neither spoke nor moved. Stole a maiden from her place, Lightly […]...
14. The Princess: A Medley: Home they Brought her Warrior Dead Home they brought her warrior dead: She nor swoon’d nor utter’d cry: All her maidens, watching, said, “She must weep or she will die.” Then they praised him, soft and low, Call’d him worthy to be loved, Truest friend and noblest foe; Yet she neither spoke nor moved. Stole a maiden from her place, Lightly […]...
15. Sonnet 44 – Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers Plucked in the garden, all the summer through And winter, and it seemed as if they grew In this close room, nor missed the sun and showers. So, in the like name of that love of ours, Take back these thoughts which here unfolded too, And which on […]...
16. The Battle of Shina, in Africa, Fought in 1800 King Shuac, the Giant of Mizra, war did declare Against Ulva, King of Shina, telling him to prepare And be ready for to meet him in the fight, Which would commence the next morning before daylight. When King Ulva heard the news, he told his warriors to prepare, Then suddenly the clatter of arms sounded […]...
17. The Tay Bridge Disaster Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay! Alas! I am very sorry to say That ninety lives have been taken away On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time. ‘Twas about seven o’clock at night, And the wind it blew with all its might, And the rain […]...
18. The Lobster Quadrille “Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail, “There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail. See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance! They are waiting on the shingle will you come and join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, […]...
19. To Mr. Blanchard, the Celebrated Aeronaut in America Nil mortalibus ardui est Caelum ipsum petimus stultitia Horace FROM Persian looms the silk he wove No Weaver meant should trail above The surface of the earth we tread, To deck the matron or the maid. But you ambitious, have design’d With silk to soar above mankind: On silk you hang your splendid car And […]...
20. Cain and Abel Cain and Abel were brothers born. (Koop-la! Come along, cows!) One raised cattle and one raised corn. (Koop-la! Come along! Co-hoe!) And Cain he farmed by the river-side, So he did not care how much it dried. For he banked, and he sluiced, and he ditched and he led (And the Corn don’t care for […]...
21. Part 5 of Trout Fishing in America WORSEWICK Worsewick Hot Springs was nothing fancy. Somebody put some Boards across the creek. That was it. The boards dammed up the creek enough to form a huge Bathtub there, and the creek flowed over the top of the boards, Invited like a postcard to the ocean a thousand miles away. As I said Worsewick […]...
22. To a Lady on Her Coming to North-America Indulgent muse! my grov’ling mind inspire, And fill my bosom with celestial fire. See from Jamaica’s fervid shore she moves, Like the fair mother of the blooming loves, When from above the Goddess with her hand Fans the soft breeze, and lights upon the land; Thus she on Neptune’s wat’ry realm reclin’d Appear’d, and thus […]...
23. A poem, on the rising glory of America LEANDER. No more of Memphis and her mighty kings, Or Alexandria, where the Ptolomies. Taught golden commerce to unfurl her falls, And bid fair science smile: No more of Greece Where learning next her early visit paid, And spread her glories to illume the world, No more of Athens, where she flourished, And saw her […]...
24. A Message to America You have the grit and the guts, I know; You are ready to answer blow for blow You are virile, combative, stubborn, hard, But your honor ends with your own back-yard; Each man intent on his private goal, You have no feeling for the whole; What singly none would tolerate You let unpunished hit the […]...
25. Part 9 of Trout Fishing in America SANDBOX MINUS JOHN DILLINGER EQUALS WHAT? Often I return to the cover of Trout Fishing in America. I Took the baby and went down there this morning. They were Watering the cover with big revolving sprinklers. I saw some Bread lying on the grass. It had been put there to feed the Pigeons. The old […]...
26. Let America Be America Again Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed Let it be that great strong land of love Where never […]...
27. Preludium to America The shadowy Daughter of Urthona stood before red Orc, When fourteen suns had faintly journey’d o’er his dark abode: His food she brought in iron baskets, his drink in cups of iron: Crown’d with a helmet and dark hair the nameless female stood; A quiver with its burning stores, a bow like that of night, […]...
28. Train Train. Distant Train. Praise the glorious distance of Train. Dogs bark, reply to the mournful echo of Train’s whistle. Train looks back, keeps moving. Train carries its boxcars of secrets further and further away (and even further still) from those who profess to love Train, but who do not run after him. Eyes brimmed with […]...
29. Part 10 of Trout Fishing in America WITNESS FOR TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA PEACE In San Francisco around Easter time last year, they had a Trout fishing in America peace parade. They had thousands Of red stickers printed and they pasted them on their small Foreign cars, and on means of national communication like Telephone poles. The stickers had WITNESS FOR TROUT […]...
30. Part 7 of Trout Fishing in America THE PUDDING MASTER OF STANLEY BASIN Tree, snow and rock beginnings, the mountain in back of the Lake promised us eternity, but the lake itself was filled with Thousands of silly minnows, swimming close to the shore And busy putting in hours of Mack Sennett time. The minnows were an Idaho tourist attraction. They Should […]...
31. To The Right Honourable William, Earl Of Dartmouth, His Majesty's Principal Secretary Of The State For North-America HAIL, happy day, when, smiling like the morn, Fair Freedom rose New-England to adorn: The northern clime beneath her genial ray, Dartmouth, congratulates thy blissful sway: Elate with hope her race no longer mourns, Each soul expands, each grateful bosom burns, While in thine hand with pleasure we behold The silken reins, and Freedom’s charms […]...
32. Trout Fishing in America a novel by Richard Brautigan THE COVER FOR TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA The cover for Trout Fishing in America is a photograph taken Late in the afternoon, a photograph of the Benjamin Franklin Statue in San Francisco’s Washington Square. Born 1706 Died 1790, Benjamin Franklin stands on a pedestal that looks like a house containing […]...
33. Accountability FOLKS ain’t got no right to censuah othah folks about dey habits; Him dat giv’ de squir’ls de bushtails made de bobtails fu’ de rabbits. Him dat built de gread big mountains hollered out de little valleys, Him dat made de streets an’ driveways wasn’t shamed to make de alleys. We is all constructed diff’ent, […]...
34. Their Height in Heaven comforts not Their Height in Heaven comforts not Their Glory nought to me ‘Twas best imperfect as it was I’m finite I can’t see The House of Supposition The Glimmering Frontier that Skirts the Acres of Perhaps To Me shows insecure The Wealth I had contented me If ’twas a meaner size Then I had counted it […]...
35. Part 4 of Trout Fishing in America THE AUTOPSY OF TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA This is the autopsy of Trout Fishing in America as if Trout Fishing in America had been Lord Byron and had died in Missolonghi, Greece, and afterward never saw the shores Of Idaho again, never saw Carrie Creek, Worsewick Hot Springs, Paradise Creek, Salt Creek and Duck Lake […]...
36. Part 2 of Trout Fishing in America ANOTHER METHOD OF MAKING WALNUT CATSUP And this is a very small cookbook for Trout Fishing in America As if Trout Fishing in America were a rich gourmet and Trout Fishing in America had Maria Callas for a girlfriend And they ate together on a marble table with beautiful candles. Compote of Apples Take a […]...
37. Part 6 of Trout Fishing in America THE HUNCHBACK TROUT The creek was made narrow by little green trees that grew Too close together. The creek was like 12, 845 telephone Booths in a row with high Victorian ceilings and all the doors Taken off and all the backs of the booths knocked out. Sometimes when I went fishing in there, I […]...
38. America America, you ode for reality! Give back the people you took. Let the sun shine again On the four corners of the world You thought of first but do not Own, or keep like a convenience. People are your own word, you Invented that locus and term. Here, you said and say, is Where we […]...
39. America Once in English they said America. Was it English to them. Once they said Belgian. We like a fog. Do you for weather. Are we brave. Are we true. Have we the national colour. Can we stand ditches. Can we mean well. Do we talk together. Have we red cross. A great many people speak […]...
40. America for Me ‘Tis fine to see the Old World and travel up and down Among the famous palaces and cities of renown, To admire the crumblyh castles and the statues and kings But now I think I’ve had enough of antiquated things. So it’s home again, and home again, America for me! My heart is turning home […]...