Roscoe Jamison, "A War Drama in One Act" (1918)
Time—Last Night. Place—Southern City.
Scene—Public Street.
SPEAKING to me ? What do you say ?
The War brings Freedom? Yes it may.
You came from Europe here to make—
How's that? You want us to forsake
This Country and help you to thrust
Its Flag and Pride into the dust?
Say, Who are you? My Friend? You lie!
You are a sneak-thief, foreign spy.
Take that, You scoundrel! That and That!
I wish I had a baseball bat—
I'll teach you how to talk to me
About money, and more liberty!
Yes, Officer, I struck the man.
Let him explain why, if he can.
I knocked him down, and blacked his eyes—
Why look at me in such surprise?
Because he's White and I am Black?
Give me protection. Hold them back!
Just see them come. The Mob grows bigger.
They shout, "Lynch him, the dirty Nigger!"
Because I dared to knock and beat
A White man in the public street.
It's the same old song. They pay no heed
To right or wrong, but just the deed.
This man I met just while ago,
Called me by name, and whispered low,
Asked me to help him get the ear
Of all my people living near.
Offered me money just to say,
We would desert the Flag today.
Said that my folk might swiftly rise,
If we would help the foreign spies
Wreck buildings, bridges, loot and spoil
The Country where we gave our toil;
Help bring it low with bomb and flame,
Until it lisps the Kaiser's name.
Oh, many things he said to me,
Of turnings, Mobs, and Liberty,
And while he talked my eyes saw red.
I knocked him down, sir! Say he's fled?
Why has all the crowd grown still?
Lead on, Officer, as you will.
I care for neither bond nor bail,
For the first time, I go to jail.
You won't arrest me? Why the shout?
What are the people cheering about ?
I, a Hero? Well, that's good.
I've done no more than thousands would.
We want the World to understand,
Though oftimes scourged with cruel hand.
Always held up to the light for flaws,
And girded round by Jim-crow laws,
The Negro will not seek revenge,
To force bound Justice's prison hinge.
We are standing by the President,
To do his will with full intent.
Where he sends us we will go,
To face undaunted any foe.
We love the Flag that makes men free,
We pledge it whole-soul loyalty.
From Lexington to Carrizal,
Black-men did fight, Black-men did fall.
And ever at the high command,
The Negro proudly takes his stand.
Thank God! He knows no traitor's ban
He's a true, blade-straight American!
Published in Roscoe Jamison, Negro Soldiers and Other Poems (1918)