south side ear hustle
birthed verse
like pollen in winds
a crack in the stone
harlem’s new moon rose here
renaissance bronzeville
some call it black art
colors are so natural
maybe art is art
bronzeville had bordersgwendolyn’s
pen enlarged them
bronzeville had borders
ears hailed mahalia
streams of armstrong and the king
creoled through bronzeville
archibald motley
guggenheimed to paris
then painted bronzeville southside
eldzier cortor’s brush
stroked ebony crowns, legs, hips, gowns
nubian queens of bronzeville
lorraine penned drama
dried grapes hoped for less sun
thirst for urban rain
blues and gospel
forecast for stockyards of toil
pullman’s lived that art
richard was so wright
southern to northern black clouds
breathed native suns
rising and setting
young black winds
burst angry gale storms
black air dying and demon noises
vanishing access choices
makes storm fronts wild and ominous
a crack in the stone
harlem’s new moon rose here
renaissance bronzeville
some call it black art
colors are so natural
maybe art is art
bronzeville had borders
gwendolyn’s pen enlarged them
bronzeville had borders