Etheridge Knight Poems
- 1. Cell Song
Night Music Slanted
Light strike the cave of sleep. I alone
tread the red circle
and twist the space with speech
... - 2. As You Leave Me
Shiny record albums scattered over
the living room floor, reflecting light
from the lamp, sharp reflections that hurt
my eyes as I watch you, squatting among the platters,
... - 3. A Poem For Myself
I was born in Mississippi;
I walked barefooted thru the mud.
Born black in Mississippi,
Walked barefooted thru the mud.
... - 4. He Sees Through Stone
He sees through stone
he has the secret
eyes this old black one
who under prison skies
... - 5. The Idea Of Ancestry
Taped to the wall of my cell are 47 pictures: 47 black
faces: my father, mother, grandmothers (1 dead), grand-
fathers (both dead), brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts,
cousins (1st and 2nd), nieces, and nephews.They stare
... - 6. Vigo County
Beyond the brown hill
Above the silent cedars,
Blackbirds flee the April rains.
...
