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Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967 / Joplin / Missouri)
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Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was the great-great-grandson of Charles Henry Langston (brother of John Mercer Langston, the first Bla .. more >>
49 poems of Langston Hughes
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8.8 /10
(237 votes)



  My old man's a white old man
And my old mother's black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.
If ever I cursed my black old mother
And wished she were in hell,
I'm sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well
My old man died in a fine big house.
My ma died in a shack.
I wonder were I'm going to die,
Being neither white nor black?

Langston Hughes


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Read poems about / on: sorry, evil, mother, house

 
  Comments about this poem (Cross by Langston Hughes )
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  Sharpella Sanders  (5/4/2009 8:08:00 AM)

i really love this poem because i am multiracial. race itself doesn't matter to me because i am so many different things like black, white, Indian, and Spanish. sometimes when you're multiracial you kind of feel like you don't really have a place since you don't fall into one single category.In that case i think we have to make up our own place in the world and teach others that no matter what racism isn't right nor is it fair. being mixed with so many things makes me happy because it gives me a chance to explore my roots, where i really come from.
  Butter Scotch  (5/10/2008 10:49:00 AM)

This poem gave me a feeling that what ever race you are you should be happy with it because it your race ur culture your everything also I learned that never disrespect your parents, you will then turn over and see this future where you feel sorry for them because something happened to you the same way. So again I will thank langston hughes for these nice poems he wrote for me and I hope to get reading he most famous poems!
  Little Poet  (4/23/2008 2:02:00 PM)

this is a great poem about the differences that you shouldn't no matter what color your skin is if i were a teacher i would use this as a poetic way to teach how bad racism can be.
  Carey Byrd  (8/29/2007 8:55:00 AM)

Could it be he was not talking about his heritage because if my memory serves me well, both of Hughes parents were African Americans. Unlike his father Hughes loved 'my people.'
  Pat Royce  (3/21/2007 10:29:00 AM)

This is a great little poem I give it 10/10.
It feels as though it just came straight out of the “pen”.
It’s as clear as a new mirror, concise, and deceptively deep.

Remember this though, “Life is what we think it is. We are what we think'.
  Kenisha Harden  (1/30/2007 8:23:00 PM)

I'd have to say that life for many people in the US is still shaped by race. Definitely not as bad as it was back then but many people are still struggling becasue of their race. This is a wonderful poem.
  Kelsey Wills  (1/19/2007 1:53:00 PM)

It's so sad how much your life was shaped by your race back then. =/
  Missy Trinity Ferrari.  (5/19/2006 7:29:00 AM)

I love this poem.. confusion and mayhem and unfairNess based on skin pigments
Missy
  Duncan Wyllie  (2/5/2006 9:31:00 AM)

Very deep, very clever.Loved this one..'Duncan'

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