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 wand of power; And turned the blood in a ruby rose To a poor white poppy-flower. They pryed 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!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...EPILOGUE TO DRAMATIS PERSONAE by ROBERT BROWNING WHITTIER by MARGARET ELIZABETH MUNSON SANGSTER LILIES: 3 by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) RURAL ECONOMY (1917) by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN TO AN OLD SWEETHEART by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE |