亚色影库app

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Summer 2010

A Wasp Woman Visits a Black Junkie in Prison

Author
Etheridge Knight
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Etheridge Knight (1931鈥1991) began writing poetry while an inmate at the Indiana State Prison from 1960 to 1968. His first collection, 鈥淧oems from Prison,鈥 was published in 1968 and was followed by 鈥淎 Poem for Brother/Man (after His Recovery from an O.D.)鈥 (1972); 鈥淏elly Song and Other Poems鈥 (1973), for which he was nominated for both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award; and 鈥淏orn of a Woman: New and Selected Poems鈥 (1980). His work was included in 鈥淔or Malcolm鈥 (1967) and 鈥淏lack Voices from Prison鈥 (1970) and was collected for 鈥淭he Essential Etheridge Knight鈥 in 1986. 鈥淎 Wasp Woman Visits a Black Junkie in Prison,鈥 from 鈥淭he Essential Etheridge Knight,鈥 by Etheridge Knight, 漏 1986, is reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.

A Wasp Woman Visits a Black Junkie in Prison


After explanations and regulations, he
Walked warily in.
Black hair covered his chin, subscribing to
Villainous ideal.
鈥淭his can not be real,鈥 he thought, 鈥渢his is a
Classical mistake;
This is a cake baked with embarrassing icing;
Somebody鈥檚 got
Likely as not, a big fat tongue in cheek!
What have I to do
With a prim and proper-blooded lady?鈥
Christ in deed has risen
When a Junkie in prison visits with a Wasp woman.

鈥淗old your stupid face, man,
Learn a little grace, man; drop a notch the sacred shield.
She might have good reason,
Like: 鈥業 was in prison and ye visited me not,鈥 or鈥攕ome such.
So sweep clear
Anachronistic fear, fight the fog,
And use no hot words.鈥

After the seating
And the greeting, they fished for a denominator,
Common or uncommon;
And could only summon up the fact that both were human.
鈥淏e at ease, man!
Try to please, man!鈥攖he lady is as lost as you: 鈥
You got children, Ma鈥檃m?鈥欌 he said aloud.

The thrust broke the dam, and their lines wiggled in the water.
She offered no pills
To cure his many ills, no compact sermons, but small
And funny talk:
鈥淢y baby began to walk . . . simply cannot keep his room clean . . .鈥
Her chatter sparked no resurrection and truly
No shackles were shaken
But after she had taken her leave, he walked softly,
And for hours used no hot words.