after a reading


AFTER  A READING OF "THE BITTER RIVER" BY LANGSTON HUGHES



ENOUGH.

You knew, of course, Mr. Hughes knew rivers;

knew still troubled waters ; knew dirt and gall-fat rivers;

knew obscene waters;  knew blood-fat, anger-saturated rivers,

black gold dying in the dying of the sun rivers; river rivers.



ENOUGH.



Scholar of deferred dreams, perpetual nightmares, Mr. Hughes

memories 1942 Mississippi lynchings for  tormented minds of now,

minds poisoned with racist death and daily tragedies  that dreams endow.

Soon, the bitter river will once more water the will to kill.



ENOUGH.







Jerry W. Ward, Jr.                                            August 6, 2020

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