Look, God,
We've got a nigger here
To burn;
A goddam nigger,
And we're goin' to plunge
His cringin' soul
To Hell!
Now watch him
Squirm and wriggle
While we swing him
From this tree!
And listen, God,
You'll laugh at this
I know--
He wants to pray
Before we stage
This show!
He's scared
And can't remember
What to say--
Imagine, God,
A nigger tryin'
To pray!
Lean over, God,
And listen while we tell
This fool
The words
He couldn't even
Spell!
"Our Father
Who art in Heaven,"
(Say it again!)
"Thy will be done
On earth . . ." (Laugh, God!)
"Amen!"
To Hell with him!
Come on, men,
Swing him high!
A prayin' nigger,
Golly--
Watch him die!
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Comments2Wow, this poems heavy stuff. Remember reading it in school, hit me hard then and still does now. As a youngin it seemed so brutal, all the hate and cruelty, but as I've grown up, its sad how much truth it reflects of past times. Its a harsh mirror to how things used to be, and reminder of how far we've come. Really hard-hitting stuff.
Really messed up... not my cup of tea.