The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1941-01-10
FEAT U Z ES

sition Of those who, on the religious side
in America tin apparent actions toward
my people) had said to Christ and the
Christian principles, Goodbye, beat II
on away from here now, you're done
for, | gave to such religionists what
seemed TO me to be their own words
merged with the words Of the orthodox
Marxist who declared he had no further
use nor need for religion.
couched the poem in the language o.
the first person, l. as many poets nav
zone in the past IN writing OF various
characters o.her than themselves. The
which pictured was the newly liberated
peasant OF the state collectives had seen
II Russia merged with those American
Negro workers Of the depression period
Who believed in the Soviet dream and the
hope ii held out for a solution OF Their
racial and economic difficulties. (Just
as the | pictured in many OF my blues
poems in the poor and uneducated Negro
Of the Southland not myself who grew
up in Kansas)
At the time that GOODBYE, CHRIST
first appeared, many persons seemed to
think | was the characterized ! Of thc
of the poem Then, as now, they failed
to see the poem in connection with my
other work including many verses most
sympathetic to the true Christian spirit
for which | have always had great re-
spect-such as that section Of poems,
Feet of Jesus, in my book, THE DREAM
KEEPER or the chapters on religion IN
my novel, NOT WITHOUT LAUGHTER
which received the Harmon Gold Award
from the Federated Council of Churches.
They failed to consider GOODBYE,
CHRIST in the light of various Of my
other poems in the ironic or satirical
vein. such as RED SILK STOCKINGS
which some of my critics once took to be
literal advice.
Today. accompanied by sound truck
playing GOD BLESS AMERICA and
bearing pickets from the Aimee Sempie
Mcpherson Temple of the Four Square
Gospel in Los Angeles, my poem OF ten
wears ago is resurrected without my per-
mission and distributed on handbills be-
fore d Pasadena hotel where | was to
speak on Negro folk songs Some weeks
later it was reprinted in THE SATUR-
DAY EVENING POST, a magazine
hose columns, like the doors Of many
of our churches, has been until recently
entirely closed to Negroes, and whose
chief contribution in the past to better
understanding of Negro life in America
has been the Octavius Roy Cohen stories
been utterly disgusted.
Now. in the year 194l, having left the
terrain of ''the radical at 20' to approach
the conservative of 40," | would not and
could not write GOODBYE, CHRIST, de-
string no longer to (epater lie bourgeois).
However, since those at present engaged
III distributing my poem do not date it,
nor say how long ago it was written,
feel impelled for the benefit of persons
reading the poem for the first time, to
make the following statement:
GOODBYE, CHRIST does not repre-
sent my personal viewpoint. 1t was long
ago withdrawn from circulation and has
been reprinted recently without my
knowledge or consent. / would not now
use such technique of approach since
| feel that a mere poem is quite unable
to compete in power to shock with the
current horrors of war and oppression
abroad in the greater part of the world.
furthermore, have come to believe that
no system of ethics, religion morals, or
government is Of permanent value which
does not first start with and change tie
human heart. Mortal fraility, greed and
error know no boundary lines. The ex-
plosives of war do not care whose hands
fashion them. Certainly, both Marxists
and Christians can be cruel Would that
Christ came back to save us all. We do
not know how to save ourselves
RTD6EWO0n