by Langston Hughes

I am your son, white man!

Georgia dusk
And the turpentine woods.
One of the pillars of the temple fell.

You are my son!
Like hell!

The moon over the turpentine woods.
The Southern night
Full of stars
Great big yellow stars.

What's a body but a toy?

Juicy bodies

Of nigger wenches

Blue black

Against black fences

O, you little bastard boy,

What's a body but a toy?

The scent of pine wood stings the soft night air.
What's the body of your mother?

Silver moonlight everywhere.
What's the body of your mother?

Sharp pine scent in the evening air.
A nigger night,

A nigger joy,

A little yellow

Bastard boy.

Naw, you ain't my brother.
Niggers ain't my brother.

Not ever.
Nigger's ain't my brother.

The Southern night is full of stars,
Great big yellow stars.

O, sweet as earth,

Dusk dark bodies

Give sweet birth

To little yellow bastard boys.

Git on back there in the night,
You ain't white.

The bright stars scatter everywhere.
Pine wood scent in the evening air.

A nigger night,

A nigger joy.

I am your son, white man!

A little yellow
Bastard boy.