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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
OLD LEM, by STERLING ALLEN BROWN Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: I talked to old lem Last Line: "but they come by tens." Subject(s): Racism; Racial Prejudice; Bigotry | |||
I talked to old Lem And old Lem said: "They weigh the cotton They store the corn We only good enough To work the rows; They run the commissary They keep the books We gotta be grateful For being cheated; Whippersnapper clerks Call us out of our name We got to say mister To spindling boys They make our figgers Turn somersets We buck in the middle Say, 'Thankyuh, sah.' They don't come by ones They don't come by twos But they come by tens. "They got the judges They got the lawyers They got the jury-rolls They got the law They don't come by ones They got the sheriffs They got the deputies They don't come by twos They got the shotguns They got the rope We git the justice In the end And they come by tens. "Their fists stay closed Their eyes look straight Our hands stay open Our eyes must fall They don't come by ones They got the manhood They got the courage They don't come by twos We got to slink around, Hangtailed hounds. They burn us when we dogs They burn us when we men They come by tens. . . . "I had a buddy Six foot of man Muscled up perfect Game to the heart They don't come by ones Outworked and outfought Any man or two men They don't come by twos He spoke out of turn At the commissary They gave him a day To git out the county. He didn't take it. He said 'Come and get me.' They came and got him. And they came by tens. He stayed in the county -- He lays there dead. They don't come by ones They don't come by twos But they come by tens." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BLACK WOMAN by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON FOREDOOM by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON I MUST BECOME A MENACE TO MY ENEMIES by JUNE JORDAN A SONG FOR SOWETO by JUNE JORDAN ON THE LOSS OF ENERGY (AND OTHER THINGS) by JUNE JORDAN POEM ABOUT POLICE VIOLENCE by JUNE JORDAN DRAFT OF A RAP FOR WEN HO LEE by JUNE JORDAN THE NIGHT THAT LORCA COMES by BOB KAUFMAN THE MYSTIC RIVER by GALWAY KINNELL AFTER WINTER by STERLING ALLEN BROWN |
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