St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1962-10-12
Careless Love
BY Langston Hughes

Lots Of young folks nowadays
take sex as it comes without ques-
ton and without care, with nc
foresight and no beware-which
is what their parents did before
them-which is why many of these
young folks are in the world, any
how" said Simple, taking his cue
from a Ray Charles record on the
juke box, Careless Love-" There
is more truth than poetry in that
old song, Love, oh, love, oh care
less love- Nowadays, even babies
are having babies and school girls
are pushing baby carriages, and
Negro soldiers have left Negro
Eskimos in Iceland, and white
CTS Japanese babies are all over
Japan. Them young fathers have
no intention of taking care Of
their babies. Neither in Iceland,
Japan or Harlem
you are exaggerating a BIZ"
1 said.
"X-nothing," said Simple, when
your child's child's child has a
child before that child is big
enough and grown enough and
responsible enough to take care of
a child, on who does the burden
fall? Generally on grandma.
Everybody else in the family is
too busy running the streets hav-
ing a good time to bother with
the baby. Sometimes even grand
ma is young enough to gallavant
around. Then who Is going to look
after that baby? I do not believe
in folks having children so free
ly."
II understand you never had
any" I said.
IF I had Of had had" said
Simple, II would teach them about
sex from the get-go, beginning
with the first step out of the
cradle, so they would not make a
mis-step. BY the time he or she
got old enough to tell a bird from
a bee, I would tell my children
who made them. Not God. They
made each other God might have
made the first birds and the first
bees, but He has not had to bother
since. Each bird and bee goes for
himself-as do human kind So
don't blame it on God. Nobody
can tell me God made that Negro
standing down yonder at the end
of the bar. He is so evil doubt
If even the devil had a hand in
making him. He has been barred
out of this bar twice. If Caterpil-
lar was to go to hell, the devil
would bar him out of there. That
man is so bad, he is even barred
out of Jail. The cops on this beat
don't want to touch him."
Like Stackolee in the song, he
must be a bad, bad man indeed"
I said
"And loud-mouthed, cuss tongued
to boot, besides being a trouble
maker. Caterpillar will pick a
fight with anybody" declared
Simple, but if that sinner ever
starts a fight with me, he will
find out I'm the baddest Christian
Gods got"
THE best thing for you would
be to stay out of his way" said.
How did you find out so much
about him anyway"
Him and his used to live next
door to me and Joyce" said Sim
pie. That man is so mean he
would give his mother rat poison
for a birthday present"
Come now" said. Il have
seldom heard you speak i'll OF
anybody in that manner. How has
Caterpillar offended your"
Just by being born" said Sim
pie, land also for having so many
children. Evil and no-good and
ugly as Caterpillar is, he has the
nerve to have nine children. His
children is evil, too. They tore up
the landlords apartment where
they was living. Broke the win
dows, stopped up the toilet, crack
ed the plaster. Always fighting in
the street. Just like their daddy
chip on their shoulders - fight al
the drop of a hat. Bully-rag too
Caterpillar beats his wife, drinks
up his money, CANDLES, won't pay
the rent - yet has nine children
It took his landlord a year to gel
him evicted. But the welfare found
him another place in the same
block. Why does the welfare pay
for such people to play?"
For the sake of the children,
suppose" I said.
Love, oh, love, oh, careless
love-" sang Simple, as the RECORD
snun q second time. "If I thought