CULTURAL EXCHANGE

IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES
WHERE THE DOORS ARE DOORS OF PAPER
DUST OF DINGY ATOMS BLOWS A SCRATCHY SOUND.
AMORPHOUS JACK-O-LANTERNS CAPER-
AND THE WIND WON'T WAIT FOR MIDNIGHT
FOR FUN TO BLOW DOORS DOWN.
BY THE RIVER AND THE RAILROAD
WITH FLUID FAR OFF GOING
BOUNDARIES BIND UNBINDING
A WHIRL OF WHISTLES BLOWING
NO TRAINS OR STEAMBOATS GOING —
YET LEONTYNE'S UNPACKING.

IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES
WHERE A DOORKNOB LETS IN LEIDER
MORE THAN LEIDER EVER BORE,
HER YESTERDAY PAST GRANDPA —
NOT OF HER OWN DOING —
IN A POT OF COLLARD GREENS
IS GENTLY STEWING.

THERE, FORBID US TO REMEMBER,
COMES AN AFRICAN IN MID-DECEMBER
SENT BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT
AMONG THE SHACKS TO MEET THE BLACKS:
LEONTYNE SMO SAMMY HARRY SCHAMMY POITIER
LOVELY LENA MARION LOUIS PEARLIE MAE

7

WITH THE AID OF LONNIE JOHNSON.

WHEN NIAGARA FALLS IS FROZEN
THERE'S A BAR WITH WINDOWS FROSTED
FROM THE COLD THAT MAKES NIAGARA
GHOSTLY MONUMENT OF WINTER
TO A BAND THAT ONCE PASSED OVER

WITH A WOMAN WITH TWO PISTOLS
ON A TRAIN THAT LOST NO PASSENGERS
ON THE LINE WHOSE ROUTE WAS FREEDOM
THROUGH THE JUNGLE OF WHITE DANGER
TO THE HAVEN OF WHITE QUAKERS
WHOSE HAYMOW WAS A MANGER
WHERE THE CHRIST CHILD ONCE HAD LAIN.

SO THE WHITNESS AND THE WATER
MELTS TO WATER ONCE AGAIN
AND THE ROAR OF NIAGARA

DROWNS THE RUMBLE OF *that* TRAIN
DISTANT ALMOST NOW AS DISTANT
AS FORGOTTEN PAIN IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES
WITH THE BAR WITH FROSTED WINDOWS
NO CONDUCTOR AND NO TRAIN.

BONGO-BONGO! CONGO!

WHAT OLD CONGO?

BUFFALO AND BONGO!

NIAGARA OF THE INDIANS!

NIAGARA OF THE CONGO!

FROSTING WINDOWS,

8-a

BABIES BORN IN SHADOWS
IN THE SHADOW OF THE WELFARE
IF BORN PREMATURE
WELFARE CHECKS COME SOONER.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE WELFARE
CHOCOLATE BABIES BORN IN SHADOWS
ARE TRIBAL NOW NO LONGER
SAVE MEMORIES OF FESTERING HATE
COVERED BY THE GANGEROUS ICING
OF **JUST WAIT**,

IN A TWENTY STORY PROJECT
THE CHOCOLATE GANGEROUS ICING
OF **JUST WAIT**.

TRIBAL NOW NO LONGER PAPA MAMA
IN RELATION TO THE CHILD
SHELTERED NOW NO LONGER
BORN TO GROW UP WILD,
ONCE YOUR BROTHERS KEEPER
NOW NOT EVEN KEEPER TO YOUR CHILD.

TRIBAL NOW NO LONGER ONE FOR ALL
AND ALL FOR ONE NO LONGER
EXCEPT IN MEMORIES OF HATE
UMBILICAL IN SULPHOROUS CHOCOLATE
OF **I GOT TO WAIT**!

I GOT TO WAIT!

IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES
A LYNCHED TOMORROW SWAYS
IN THE SHADOW OF THE WELFARE CHECK
THAT BLOTS ON PROJECT DAYS

25

ON GRAVESTONES DATES ARE PLAYED
AND EXTRA LARGE THE KINGS AND QUEENS
AT EITHER SIDE ARRAYED
HAVE DOORS THAT OPEN OUTWARD
TO THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES
WHERE THE PRESSURE OF THE BLOOD IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER
DUE TO SMOLDERING SHADOWS THAT SOMETIMES TURN TO FIRE
HELP ME, YARDBIRD!

HELP ME,

SHOW FARE, MAMA

TELL ME, MAMA, CAN I GET MY SHOW
TELL ME FARE FROM YOU?
OR DO YOU THINK THAT PAPA'S
GOT CHANGE IN HIS LONG POCKET?
IN THE QUARTER OF THE NEGROES
WHERE THE MASK IS PLACED BY OTHERS
IBM ELECTRIC
AND THE ANIMALS ARE COSTLY.

BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL IMPORTED
TELL ME, MAMA, TELL ME,
STRIP TICKETS STILL ILLUSION.
TELL ME, TELL ME, MAMA,
ALL THAT MUSIC, ALL THAT DANCING
CONCENTRATED TO THE ESSENCE
OF THE SHADOW OF THE DOLLAR
PAID AT THE BOX OFFICE
WHERE THE LIGHT IS BRIGHTENED.