Langston Hughes, "Blue Bayou" (1927)
Langston Hughes
I went walkin’
By de blue bayou
An’ I saw de sun go down.
I thought about old Greeley
An’ [ thought about Lou, ~
An’ I saw de sun go down.
White man
Makes me work all day,
An’ I works damn hard
For damn little pay,
Then a white man takes
Ma woman away—
I'll kill old Greeley.
An’ de blue bayou turns red as fire.
Put the n***** on a rope
An’ pull him higher!
An’ I saw de sun go down.
Put the n***** on a rope
An’ pull him higher!
De blue bayou’s a pool o’ fire,
An’ I saw de sun go down,
Down,
Down,
Lawd! I saw de sun go down.
Published in Black Opals, Spring 1927