The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Poetry Break, 2/2/09

[BlueIris]

"White Things"

Most things are colorful things—the sky, earth, and sea. 
              Black men are most men; but the white are free! 
White things are rare things; so rare, so rare 
They stole from out a silvered world—somewhere.
Finding earth-plains fair plains, save greenly grassed, 
They strewed white feathers of cowardice, as they passed;
              The golden stars with lances fine, 
              The hills all red and darkened pine, 
They blanched with their want of power; 
And turned the blood in a ruby rose 
To a poor white poppy-flower.

They pyred a race of black, black men, 
And burned them to ashes white; then, 
Laughing, a young one claimed a skull, 
For the skull of a black is white, not dull, 
              But a glistening awful thing
              Made, it seems, for this ghoul to swing 
In the face of God with all his might, 
And swear by the hell that sired him: 
              "Man-maker, make white!"

—Anne Spencer

[BlueIris]

1. Kick.