Young Afrikans Poem by Gwendolyn Brooks

Young Afrikans

Rating: 4.4


of the furious

Who take Today and jerk it out of joint
have made new underpinnings and a Head.

Blacktime is time for chimeful
poemhood
but they decree a
jagged chiming now.

If there are flowers flowers
must come out to the road. Rowdy!—
knowing where wheels and people are,
knowing where whips and screams are,
knowing where deaths are, where the kind kills are.

As for that other kind of kindness,
if there is milk it must be mindful.
The milkofhumankindness must be mindful
as wily wines.
Must be fine fury.
Must be mega, must be main.

Taking Today (to jerk it out of joint)
the hardheroic maim the
leechlike-as-usual who use,
adhere to, carp, and harm.

And they await,
across the Changes and the spiraling dead,
our Black revival, our Black vinegar,
our hands, and our hot blood.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Bernard F. Asuncion 23 September 2018

Such a great write by Gwendolyn Brooks....

2 1 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 23 September 2018

greatly humane writing for native // unfit hand and blood going to be dexterous, spiraling deads are crossing the Styix for no vinegar or bread, for no bullet or rival oppressed just for human life ..................

1 1 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 23 September 2018

it out of joint! ! Thanks for sharing.

1 1 Reply
Kayode Are 23 September 2018

Powerful commentary on why the fury never ends despite changing climes.

1 1 Reply
Savita Tyagi 23 September 2018

Wow! Such firey words. Energy of youth needs compassionate, protective hands and wise and strong direction. Wonderful poem.

1 1 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 23 September 2019

The boiling anguish of black youths from Africa and their injured and oppressed egos, for a long time, expressed in an impressive way. Well deserved modern poem of the day.

0 0 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 23 September 2019

they await, across the Changes and the spiraling dead, our Black revival, our Black vinegar, our hands, // beautiful poetic expression on the encouragement of young spirit

1 0 Reply
Uche Nwanze 23 September 2019

A beautiful piece, thanks for sharing.

0 1 Reply
Dominic Windram 23 September 2019

Such a surreal, innovative poem about oppression and the need for social justice. It brilliantly, and seemingly effortlessly, weaves numerous dialects into its structure

1 1 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 23 September 2018

THREE: As I have read her poem and these lines time and again, WOW! How energetic she was to relive the true occurrences of reality in her poems. Her words as written above: .....knowing where whips and screams are, knowing where deaths are, where the kind kills are....these are truly powerful words. Indeed youth must have wise and strong direction. CONGRATULATIONS to her family in the USA for being chosen as Modern PoemOTD

1 1 Reply
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Gwendolyn Brooks

Gwendolyn Brooks

Topeka, Kansas
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