Selected Poems of Langston Hughes Read Online Free Page B

thought I would jump down.
    I stood there and I hollered!
    I stood there and I cried!
    If it hadn’t a-been so high
    I might’ve jumped and died.
        
But it was
        
High up there!
        
It was high!
    So since I’m still here livin’,
    I guess I will live on.
    I could’ve died for love—
    But for livin’ I was born.
    Though you may hear me holler,
    And you may see me cry—
    I’ll be dogged, sweet baby,
    If you gonna see me die.
        
Life is fine!
        
Fine as wine!
        
Life is fine!
Still Here
    I’ve been scarred and battered.
    My hopes the wind done scattered.
    Snow has friz me, sun has baked me.
        Looks like between ’em
        They done tried to make me
    Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’—
        But I don’t care!
        
I’m still here!
Ballad of the Gypsy
    I went to the Gypsy’s.
    Gypsy settin’ all alone.
    I said, Tell me, Gypsy,
    When will my gal be home?
    Gypsy said, Silver,
    Put some silver in my hand
    And I’ll look into the future
    And tell you all I can.
    I crossed her palm with silver,
    Then she started in to lie.
    She said, Now, listen, Mister,
    She’ll be here by and by.
        
Aw, what a lie!
    I been waitin’ and a-waitin’
    And she ain’t come home yet.
    Something musta happened
    To make my gal forget.
    Uh! I hates a lyin’ Gypsy
    Will take good money from you,
    Tell you pretty stories
    And take your money from you—
    But if I was a Gypsy
    I would take your money, too.
Me and the Mule
    My old mule,
    He’s got a grin on his face.
    He’s been a mule so long
    He’s forgot about his race.
    I’m like that old mule—
    Black—and don’t give a damn!
    You got to take me
    Like I am.
Kid Sleepy
    Listen, Kid Sleepy,
    Don’t you want to run around
    To the other side of the house
    Where the shade is?
    It’s sunny here
    And your skin’ll turn
    A reddish-purple in the sun.
        Kid Sleepy said,
        
I don’t care
.
    Listen, Kid Sleepy,
    Don’t you want to get up
    And go to work down-Town somewhere
    To earn enough
    For lunches and car fare?
        Kid Sleepy said,
        
I don’t care
.
    Or would you rather,
    Kid Sleepy, just
    Stay here?
        
Rather just
        
Stay here
.
Little Lyric
(Of Great Importance)
    I wish the rent
    Was heaven sent.
Fired
    Awake all night with loving
    The bright day caught me
    Unawares—asleep.
    “Late to work again,”
    The boss man said.
    “You’re fired!”
    So I went on back to bed—
    And dreamed the sweetest dream
    With Caledonia’s arm
    Beneath my head.
Midnight Dancer
    Wine-maiden
    Of the jazz-tuned night,
    Lips
    Sweet as purple dew,
    Breasts
    Like the pillows of all sweet dreams,
    Who crushed
    The grapes of joy
    And dripped their juice
    On you?
Blue Monday
    No use in my going
    Downtown to work today,
        It’s eight,
        I’m late—
    And it’s marked down that-a-way.
    Saturday and Sunday’s
    Fun to sport around.
    But no use denying—
    Monday’ll get you down.
    That old blue Monday
    Will surely get you down.
Ennui
    It’s such a
    Bore
    Being always
    Poor.
Mama and Daughter
        
Mama, please brush off my coat
        
I’m going down the street
.
    Where’re you going, daughter?
        
To see my sugar-sweet
.
    Who is your sugar, honey?
    Turn around—I’ll brush behind.
        
He is that young man, mama
,
        
I can’t get off my mind
.
    Daughter, once upon a time—
    Let me brush the hem—
    Your father, yes, he was the one!
    I felt like that about him.
    But it was a long time ago
    He up and went his way.
    I hope that wild young son-of-a-gun
    Rots in hell today!
        
Mama, dad couldn’t be still young
.
    He
was
young yesterday.
    He
was
young when he—
    Turn around!
    So I can brush your back, I say!
Delinquent
    Little Julie
    Has grown quite tall.
    Folks say she don’t like
    To stay home at all.
    Little Julie
    Has grown quite