lady in brown Quotes

“Dark phrases of womanhood of never havin been a girl half-notes scattered without rhythm/no tune distraught laughter fallin over a black girl’s shoulder it’s funny/it’s hysterical the melody-lesslness of her dance don’t tell nobody don’t tell a soul she’s a dancin on beer cans and shingles this must be the spook house another song with no singers lyrics/ no voices and interrupted solos unseen performances are we ghouls? children of horror? the joke?...”

″...don’t tell nobody don’t tell a soul are we animals? have we gone crazy? i can’t hear anythin but maddening screams and the soft strains of death and promised me you promised me... somebody/anybody sing a black girl’s song bring her out to know herself to know you but sing her rhythms carin/ struggle/ hard times sing her song of life she’s been dead so long closed in silence so long she doesn’t know the sound of her own voice her infinite beauty she’s half-notes scattered without rhythm/ no tune sing her sighs sing the songs of her possibilities sing a righteous gospel let her be born and handled warmly.”