Friday Poetry: Black History Month

Mother to Son

by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor— 

.....read the rest at the Poetry Foundation here.

I love this poem because the mother's voice is so clear, so insistent, and so determined. She is compelling him, and us forward and the joyful undercurrent is unmistakable. We are getting toward the end of Black History Month, but still climbing.

I am excited about getting the Poetry Foundation iTouch app in my hand, finally. I'm going to be shakin' some poetry down! Anyone else have that? What do you love about it?

Enjoy the Friday Poetry round up over at Read, Write, Believe, hosted by Sara Lewis Holmes.