Langston Hughes — Cultural Exchange Ask Your Mama

IN THE IN THE QUARTER IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES WHERE THE DOORS ARE DOORS OF PAPER DUST OF DINGY ATOMS BLOWS A SCRATCHY SOUND AMORPHOUS JACK-O’-LANTERNS CAPER AND THE WIND WON’T WAIT FOR MIDNIGHT FOR FUN TO BLOW DOORS DOWN BY THE RIVER AND THE RAILROAD WITH FLUID FAR-OFF GOING BOUNDARIES BIND UNBINDING A WHIRL OF WHISTLES BLOWING NO TRAINS OR STEAMBOATS GOING— YET LEONTYNE’S UNPACKING IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES WHERE THE DOORKNOB LETS IN LIEDER MORE THAN GERMAN EVER BORE, HER YESTERDAY PAST GRANDPA NOT OF HER OWN DOING – IN A POT OF COLLARD GREENS IS GENTLY STEWING. THERE, FORBID US TO REMEMBER, COMES AN AFRICAN IN MID-DECEMBER SENT BY THE STATE DEPARMENT AMONG THE SHACKS TO MEET THE BLACKS: LEONTYNE SAMMY HARRY POITIER LOVELY LENA MARIAN LOUIS PEARLIE MAE GEORGE S. SCHUYLER MOLTO BENE COME WHAT MAY LANGSTON HUGHES IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES WHERE THE RAILROAD AND THE RIVER HAVE DOORS THAT FACE EACH WAY AND THE ENTRANCE TO THE MOVIE’S UP AN ALLEY UP THE SIDE PUSHCARTS FOLD AND UNFOLD IN A SUPERMARKET SEA. AND WE BETTER FIND OUT, MAMA, WHERE IS THE COLORED LAUNROMAT, SINCE WE MOVED UP TO MOUNT VERNON RALPH ELLISON AS VESPUCIUS INA-YOURA AT THE MASTHEAD ARNA BONTEMPS CHIEF CONSULTANT MOLTO BENE MELLOW BABY PEARLIE MAE SHALOM ALEICHEM JIMMY BALDWIN SAMMY COME WHAT MAY – THE SIGNS POINT: GHANA GUINEA AD THE TOLL BRIDGE FROM WESTCHESTER IS A GANGPLANK ROCKING RISKY BETWEEN THE DECK AND SHORE OF A BOAT THAT NEVER QUITE KNEW ITS DESTINATION IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES ORNETTE AND CONSTERNATION CLAIM ATTENTION FROM THE PAPERS THAT HAVE NO NEWS THAT DAY OF MOSCOW IN THE POT BEHIND THE PAPER DOORS WHAT’S COOKING? WHAT’S SMELLING, LEONTYNE? LIEDER, LOVELY LIEDER AND A LEAF OF COLLARD GREEN, LOVELY LIEDER LEONTYNE IN THE SHADOW OF THE NEGROES NKRUMAH IN THE SHADOW OF THE NEGROES NASSER NASSER IN THE SHADOW OF THE NEGROES ZIK AZIKIWE CUBA CASTRO GUINEA TOURE FOR NEED OR PROPAGANDA KENYATTA AND THE TOM DOGS OF THE CABIN THE COCOA AND THE CANE BRAKE THE CHAIN GANG AND THE SLAVE BLOCK TARRED AND FEATHERED NATIONS SEAGRAM’S AND FOUR ROSES $5.00 BAGS A DECK OR DAGGA FILIBUSTER VERSUS VETO LIKE A SNAPPING TURTLE – WON’T LET GO UNTIL IT THUNDERS WON’T LET GO UNTIL IT THUNDERS TEARS THE BODY FROM THE SHADOW WON’T LET GO UNTIL IT THUNDERS IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES AND THEY ASKED ME RIGHT AT CHRISTMAS IF MY BLACKNESS, WOULD I RUB OFF? I SAID, ASK YOUR MAMA. DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES… NIGHTMARES…DREAMS! OH! DREAMING THAT THE NEGROES OF THE SOUTH HAVE TAKEN OVER – VOTED ALL THE DIXIECRATS RIGHT OUT OF THE POWER – COMES THE COLORED HOUR: MARTIN LUTHER KING IS GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, DR. RUFUS CLEMENT HIS CHIEF ADVISOR ZELMA WATSON GEORGE THE HIGH GRAND WORTHY. IN WHITE PILLARED MANSIONS SITTING ON THEIR WIDE VERANDAS WEALTHY NEGROES HAVE WHITE SERVANTS WHITE SHARECROPPERS WORK THE BLACK PLANTATIONS AND COLORED CHILDREN HAVE WHITE MAMMIES MAMMY FABUS MAMMY EASTLAND MAMMY PATTERSON DEAR, DEAR DARLING OLD WHITE MAMMIES- SOMETIMES EVEN BURIED WITH OUR FAMILY! DEAR OLD MAMMY FAUBUS CULTURE, THEY SAID, IS A TWO-WAY STREET: HAND ME MY MINT JULEP, MAMMY. MAKE HASTE!