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Contents Foreword Who Look at Me (1969) 14 WHO LOOK AT ME 15 FOR MY MOTHER 23 IN THE TIMES OF MY HEART 24 THE NEW PIETÀ: FOR THE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN OF DETROIT 24 THE WEDDING 24 THE RECEPTION 25 NOWADAYS THE HEROES 26 NOT A SUICIDE POEM 26 THIS MAN 27 FIBROUS RUIN 27 ABANDONED BABY 27 UNCLE BULLBOY 28 MAYBE THE BIRDS 28 IN MEMORIAM: 29 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 29 IF YOU SAW A NEGRO LADY 30 FOR SOMEBODY TO START SINGING 31 AND WHO ARE YOU? 32 ALL THE WORLD MOVED 34 JUICE OF A LEMON ON THE TRAIL OF LITTLE YELLOW 35 I LIVE IN SUBTRACTION 35 WHAT DECLARATION 35 MY SADNESS SITS AROUND ME 36 NOT LOOKING 36 WHEN I OR ELSE 36 WHEREAS 37 OR 37 LET ME LIVE WITH MARRIAGE 37 Toward a Personal Semantics 38 Some Changes (1971) 39 THEN IT WAS 40 SAN JUAN 40 FOR CHRISTOPHER 40 LEAVES BLOW BACKWARD 41 NOBODY RIDING THE ROADS TODAY 41 FIRING BURST HIS HEAD 42 IN LOVE 42 WHAT WOULD I DO WHITE? 43 OKAY "NEGROES" 44 FOR BEAUTIFUL MARY BROWN: 44 CHICAGO RENT STRIKE LEADER 44 SOLIDARITY DAY, 1968 45 LBJ: REJOINDER 46 POEM FOR MY FAMILY: HAZEL GRIFFIN AND VICTOR HERNÁNDEZ CRUZ 47 UHURU IN THE O.R. 49 NEW LIKE NAGASAKI 50 NICE LIKE NICENE 50 BUS WINDOW 51 NO TRAIN OF THOUGHT 51 Poem from the Empire State 52 47,000 WINDOWS 52 WHAT HAPPENS 54 CLOCK ON HANCOCK STREET 54 EXERCISE IN QUITS 55 A POEM FOR ALL THE CHILDREN 56 CAMEO NO. 1 57 CAMEO NO. 2 58 I CELEBRATE THE SONS OF MALCOLM 59 IN MY OWN QUIETLY EXPLOSIVE HERE 60 OF FAITH: CONFESSIONAL 60 POEM TO THE 61 MASS COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA 61 LAST POEM FOR A LITTLE WHILE 61 New Days (1974) 65 MAY 1, 1970 66 ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS: 1970 66 MEMO TO DANIEL PRETTY MOYNIHAN 67 ROMAN POEM NUMBER ONE 67 ROMAN POEM NUMBER TWO 68 ROMAN POEM NUMBER THREE 70 ROMAN POEM NUMBER FOUR 70 ROMAN POEM NUMBER SIX 71 ROMAN POEM NUMBER SEVEN 72 ROMAN POEM NUMBER EIGHT 73 ROMAN POEM NUMBER NINE 73 ROMAN POEM NUMBER TEN 74 ROMAN POEM NUMBER ELEVEN 74 ROMAN POEM NUMBER TWELVE 75 ROMAN POEM NUMBER THIRTEEN, For Eddie 75 ROMAN POEM NUMBER FOURTEEN 76 ROMAN POEM NUMBER FIFTEEN, For Greg 77 ROMAN POEM NUMBER SIXTEEN: SIGHTSEER 77 ROMAN POEM NUMBER SEVENTEEN 79 ROMAN POEM NUMBER FIVE 79 MAY 27, 1971: NO POEM 90 REALIZING THAT REVOLUTION WILL NOT TAKE PLACE BY TELEPHONE 91 ON THE SPIRIT OF MILDRED JORDAN 92 AFTER READING THE NUMBER ONE INTELLECTUAL AMERICAN BEST SELLER, FUTURE SHOCK, ALL ABOUT CHANGE IS WHERE WE'RE AT 93 ON HOLIDAYS IN THE BEST TRADITION 94 FOR C.G., BECAUSE DAVID CAME IN HOT AND CRYING FROM THE NEWS 95 ON YOUR LOVE 96 ABOUT ENRIQUE'S DRAWING 97 ABOUT MERRY CHRISTMAS/DON'T 97 BELIEVE THE DAILY NEWS 97 POEM ABOUT THE SWEETWATERS OF THE CITY 98 WEST COAST EPISODE 99 FROM AN UPROOTED CONDITION 100 POEM FOR ANGELA 100 ON THE BLACK POET 101 READING HIS POEMS IN THE PARK, For Clarence and Sharyn 101 ON THE BLACK FAMILY 102 FOR DAVID: 1972 103 ON DECLINING VALUES 104 IT'S ABOUT YOU: 105 ON THE BEACH 105 ON THE PARADOX IN RHYME 106 ABOUT THE REUNION 106 OF NIGHTSONG AND FLIGHT 107 AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE 107 SHORTSONG FROM MY HEART 108 ONE MINUS ONE MINUS ONE 108 POEM FOR MY LOVE 109 ABOUT LONG DISTANCES ON SATURDAY 109 ON DIVINE ADAPTATION 109 TO AN AGE OF DISBELIEF 110 ON MY HAPPY/MATRIMONIAL CONDITION 110 CALLING ON ALL SILENT MINORITIES 110 NO POEM BECAUSE TIME IS NOT A NAME 111 FRAGMENTS FROM A PARABLE 112 POEM ON THE MURDER OF TWO HUMAN BEING BLACK MEN, DENVER A. SMITH AND HIS UNIDENTIFIED BROTHER, AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, 1972 118 POEM FOR MY BROTHER 119 POEM FOR MY PRETTY MAN 120 POEM TO MY SISTER, ETHEL ENNIS, WHO SANG "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER" AT THE SECOND INAUGURATION OF RICHARD MILHOUS NIXON, JANUARY 20, 1973 120 ON MORAL LEADERSHIP 122 AS A POLITICAL DILEMMA 122 FOR MICHAEL ANGELO THOMPSON 124 GETTING DOWN TO GET OVER 125 Things That I Do in the Dark (1977) 134 THESE POEMS 135 from For My Own 136 JULY 4, 1974 137 FOR MY JAMAICAN SISTER A LITTLE BIT LOST ON THE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN 137 POEM FOR GRANVILLE IVANHOE JORDAN 138 AH, MOMMA 140 FROM THE TALKING BACK 142 OF MISS VALENTINE JONES 142 from Directed by Desire 149 THE ROUND OF GRIEF 150 POEM IN CELEBRATION OF THE RECOVERY 150 OF MRS. R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER, JUNE 1967 150 ONESIDED DIALOG 150 ON A NEW YEAR'S EVE 151 SUNFLOWER SONNET NUMBER ONE 154 SUNFLOWER SONNET NUMBER TWO 154 LULLABY 154 FOR ETHELBERT 155 YOU CAME WITH SHELLS 155 ON THE ALUMINUM 156 MINUTES FROM THE MEETING 156 QUEEN ANNE'S LACE 157 WASTED 157 FOR DAVE: 1976 158 METARHETORIC 159 from Against the Stillwaters 161 ON THE LOSS OF ENERGY 162 FROM INSIDE THE CONTINUUM 164 POEM AGAINST THE STATE (OF THINGS): 1975 164 I MUST BECOME A MENACE 170 TO MY ENEMIES 170 FROM THE TAKING BACK 172 OF MISS VALENTINE JONES: 172 POEM # ONE 172 from Towards a Personal Semantics 175 I AM UNTRUE YET I 176 ON A MONDAY AFTERNOON 176 ON A THURSDAY EVENING 176 EXCERPTS FROM A VERSE DIARY OF SOMEBODY TRYING TO GET INTO GEAR 176 FOR THE POET: ADRIENNE RICH 177 SOME PEOPLE 177 ECOLOGY 178 from Passion (1980) 179 POEM FOR NANA 180 POEM FOR THE POET ALEXIS DE VEAUX 183 CURRENT EVENTS 183 POEM ABOUT THE HEAD OF A NEGRO 184 THE MORNING ON THE MOUNTAINS 185 "THE RATIONALE" OR "SHE DROVE ME CRAZY" 185 CASE IN POINT 186 POEM OF PERSONAL GREETING FOR FIDEL, 186 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL: 188 SARATOGA SPRINGS AND ESPECIALLY 188 ABOUT GEORGE BENSON AND EVERYONE WHO 188 WAS LISTENING 188 PATRICIA'S POEM 189 "HEY, BABY: YOU MARRIED?" 189 TV IS EASY NEXT TO LIFE 190 1978 192 AN EXPLANATION ALWAYS FOLLOWS 192 LETTER TO THE LOCAL POLICE 193 FOUND POEM 195 POEM ABOUT A NIGHT OUT: MICHAEL: 195 GOODBYE FOR A WHILE 195 POEM ABOUT POLICE VIOLENCE 196 SKETCHING IN THE TRANSCENDENTAL 197 A POEM ABOUT INTELLIGENCE FOR MY 198 BROTHERS AND SISTERS 198 VERSE FROM A FRAGMENTARY MARRIAGE 199 1977: POEM FOR MRS. FANNIE LOU HAMER 200 POEM FOR SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN 201 NOTES ON THE PEANUT 202 UNEMPLOYMENT MONOLOGUE 203 TOWARD A CITY THAT SINGS 204 A SONG OF SOJOURNER TRUTH 205 ALLA THA'S ALL RIGHT, BUT 206 NIGHTLETTERS 207 EVIDENTLY LOOKING AT THE MOON REQUIRES A CLEAN PLACE TO STAND 207 FREE FLIGHT 208 LETTER TO MY FRIEND THE POET NTOZAKE SHANGE 211 LEGEND OF THE HOLY NIGHT WHEN THE POLICE 211 FINALLY HELD FIRE 211 A POEM ABOUT VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO 212 INAUGURAL ROSE 215 EN PASSANT 216 FOR LI'L BIT 216 NIAGARA FALLS 217 CALLING IT QUITS 217 POEM TOWARD THE BOTTOM LINE 218 MEMORANDA TOWARD THE SPRING OF 218 SEVENTY-NINE 218 A SHORT NOTE TO MY VERY CRITICAL AND 219 WELL-BELOVED FRIENDS AND COMRADES 220 RAPE IS NOT A POEM 220 MEMO: 221 WHAT IS THIS IN REFERENCE TO? 222 OR 222 WE MUST GET TOGETHER SOMETIME SOON! 222 POEM #2 FOR INAUGURAL ROSE 223 POEM ABOUT MY RIGHTS 223 GRAND ARMY PLAZA 226 TAKING CARE 227 A RIGHT-TO-LIFER IN GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 229 FROM AMERICA: A POEM IN PROCESS 230 Living Room (1985) 234 FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA 235 "IN THE FEBRUARY BLIZZARD OF 1983" 240 DES MOINES IOWA RAP 240 A POEM FOR JONATHAN 241 POEM FOR NICARAGUA 241 FIRST POEM FROM NICARAGUA LIBRE: 242 TEOTECACINTE 242 SECOND POEM FROM NICARAGUA LIBRE: 243 WAR ZONE 243 THIRD POEM FROM NICARAGUA LIBRE: 243 PHOTOGRAPH OF MANAGUA 243 FOURTH POEM FROM NICARAGUA LIBRE: 244 REPORT FROM THE FRONTIER 244 SAFE 245 DIRECTIONS FOR CARRYING EXPLOSIVE 245 NUCLEAR WASTES THROUGH 245 METROPOLITAN NEW YORK 245 GREENSBORO: NORTH CAROLINA: 246 PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION: 246 PROBLEMS OF LANGUAGE 247 INDEPENDENCE DAY IN THE U.S.A. 249 I AM THE FALLEN/I AM THE CLIFF 250 TO SING A SONG OF PALESTINE 250 POEM ON THE ROAD; FOR ALICE WALKER 251 JULY 4, 1984: FOR BUCK 253 POEM FOR DANA 253 A SONG FOR SOWETO 255 ATLANTIC COAST REGGAE 256 POEM FOR ETEL ADNAN WHO WRITES: 257 RICHARD WRIGHT WAS WRONG 258 EASTER COMES TO THE EAST COAST: 1981 259 SONG OF THE LAW ABIDING CITIZEN 260 OCTOBER 23, 1983 261 "look at the blackbird fall" 262 MARCH SONG 262 MENU 263 ADDENDA TO THE PAPAL BULL 265 POEM FOR THE POET SARA MILES 266 POEM FOR GUATEMALA 266 ON THE REAL WORLD: MEDITATION #1. 268 "the snow" 269 WHO WOULD BE FREE, 269 THEMSELVES MUST STRIKE THE BLOW 269 A RUNAWAY LI'L BIT POEM 269 DELIZA SPEND THE DAY IN THE CITY 270 DELIZA QUESTIONING PERPLEXITIES: 271 NOVEMBER 271 VERSE AFTER LISTENING TO BART"K PLAY 272 BART"K A SECOND TIME 272 POEM TOWARDS A FINAL SOLUTION 272 1981: ON CALL 274 3 FOR KIMAKO 274 A REAGAN ERA POEM IN MEMORY 275 OF SCARLETT O'HARA 275 APOLOGIES TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN LEBANON 276 TORNADO WATCH 277 ANOTHER POEM ABOUT THE MAN 278 STORY FOR TUESDAY 279 WAR VERSE 279 POEM WRITTEN TO THE HEAVY RAIN 280 THROUGH THE TREES 280 I AM NO MORE AND I AM NO LESS 280 1980: NOTE TO THE LEAGUE OF 281 WOMEN VOTERS 281 ON LIFE AFTER LIFE 281 ADRIENNE'S POEM: ON THE DIALECTICS OF 282 THE DIATONIC SCALE 282 GRACE 282 POOR FORM 283 THE TEST OF ATLANTA 1979 - 283 NOTES TOWARDS HOME 284 RELATIVITY 285 ROOTS FOR a.b.t. 285 HOME: JANUARY 29, 1984 286 THE CEDAR TREES OF LEBANON 287 NIGHTLINE: SEPTEMBER 20, 1982 287 THE BEIRUT JOKEBOOK 287 HERE 288 MOVING TOWARDS HOME 288 from Naming Our Destiny (1985) 291 FAMINE 292 INTIFADA 294 GHAZAL AT THE FULL MOON 295 POEM FROM TAPED TESTIMONY 296 IN THE TRADITION OF BERNHARD GOETZ 296 AFTERMATH 300 TO FREE NELSON MANDELA 300 DANCE: NICARAGUA 302 VERSE FOR RONALD SLAPJACK 303 WHO PUBLICLY DECLARED, "I, TOO, AM A CONTRA!" 303 POEM INSTEAD OF A COLUMBUS DAY PARADE 304 AN ALWAYS LEI OF GINGER BLOSSOMS 305 FOR THE FIRST LADY OF HAWAI'I: 305 QUEEN LILI'UOKALANI 305 SOMETHING LIKE A SONNET FOR PHILLIS MIRACLE WHEATLEY 306 POEM FOR BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 307 THE TORN SKY: LESSON #1 308 TAKE THEM OUT! 309 POEM FOR JAN 309 SOLIDARITY 310 IN PARIS 310 POEM ON THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY OF RAIN 311 OUT IN THE COUNTRY OF MY COUNTRY 312 (PETERBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE) 312 A RICHLAND COUNTY LYRIC FOR ELIZABETH ASLEEP 313 THE MADISON EXPERIENCE 313 A SONNET FROM THE STONY BROOK 316 A SONNET FOR A.B.T. 316 POEM ON BELL'S THEOREM 317 POEM NUMBER TWO ON BELL'S THEOREM 318 LAST POEM ON BELL'S THEOREM 318 ROMANCE IN IRONY 318 TRYING TO CAPTURE RAPTURE 319 WINTER HONEY 319 AT SOME MOMENT THE CONFIDENCE SNAPS 320 DOUBLE STANDARD LIFESTYLE STUDIES: #1 320 POEM FOR JOY 321 POEM AT THE MIDNIGHT OF MY LIFE 323 THE FEMALE AND THE SILENCE OF A MAN 324 POEM FOR BUDDY 324 SMASH THE CHURCH 327 DON'T ESTIMATE! 330 "FINANCIAL PLANNING" 331 POEM FOR MARK 332 DELIZA COME TO LONDON TOWN 333 A BIRTHDAY POEM FOR MARK 333 DELIZA AND THE TV NEWS 334 SOMETIMES DELIZA 334 WAR AND MEMORY 334 from Haruko/Love Poems (1994) 341 NEW YEAR 342 FOR HARUKO 342 POEM FOR HARUKO 343 12:01 A.M. 343 "Why I became a pacifist" 345 "'CLEAN!'" 346 UPDATE 346 POEM ABOUT PROCESS 347 AND PROGRESS 347 RESOLUTION #1,003 347 A POEM FOR 347 HARUKO 10/29 347 "Admittedly" 348 "Boats afloat" 348 TAIKO DOJO 349 POEM ABOUT HEARTBREAK THAT 349 GO ON AND ON 349 SPECULATIONS ON THE PRESENT 349 THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE PAST 349 POEM FOR HARUKO 351 ICHIBAN 351 PHOENIX MYSTERY #1 352 PHOENIX MYSTERY #2 352 POSTSCRIPT FOR HARUKO: 353 ON WAR AND PEACE 353 "'Haruko:" 353 BIG CITY HAPPENING 353 POEM ON THE 354 QUANTUM MECHANICS OF 354 BREAKFAST WITH HARUKO 354 MENDOCINO MEMORY 355 LETTER TO HARUKO 355 FROM DECORAH, IOWA, U.S.A. 356 "plum blossom plum jam" 357 "First full moon of a new and final decade" 357 "I train my eyes to see" 358 Kissing God Goodbye (1997) 360 POEM FOR A YOUNG POET 362 NOVEMBER POEM FOR ALEGRÍA: 1996 364 WHAT GREAT GRIEF HAS MADE THE EMPRESS MUTE 365 ARGUMENT WITH THE BUDDHA 366 MERRY-GO-ROUND POETRY 368 LEBANON 369 LEBANON 369 SHORT TAKES 374 SOMETIMES CLARITY COMES IN THE DARK 375 POEM AFTER RECEIVING VOICEMAIL FROM YOU AFTER (I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE) HOW LONG! 375 TANKA TRIO 375 GHAFLAH 376 HAIKU FOR THE WOULD-BE KILLERS OF A TEACHER 379 BRIDGET SONG #1 379 STUDY #1 379 THE ECLIPSE OF 1996 382 MESSAGE FROM BELFAST 382 LETTER TO MRS. VIRGINIA THOMAS, WIFE OF WHATZHISNAME LAMENTABLY APPOINTED TO THE SUPREME COURT, U.S.A. 385 FIRST POEM AFTER SERIOUS SURGERY 387 THE BOMBING OF BAGHDAD 388 OCTOBER SNOWPEA POEM 390 CAMPSITE #21 391 BOSNIA BOSNIA 392 FOCUS IN REAL TIME 394 POEM IN MEMORY OF ALAN SCHINDLER, 22 YEARS OLD 394 POEM BECAUSE THE 1996 U.S. POET LAUREATE TOLD THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THERE ARE "OBVIOUS" POETS - ALL OF THEM WHITE - AND THEN THERE ARE "REPRESENTATIVE" POETS - NONE OF THEM WHITE 395 POEM TO CONTINUE A CONVERSATION 399 CHRISTMAS POEM 399 POEM AT THE END OF THE THIRD YEAR 400 BIRTHDAY IN PARIS 401 STUDY #2 FOR b.b.L. 401 POEM #1 FOR b.b.L. 403 POEM #3 FOR b.b.L. 404 FACT SHEETS FOR b.b.L. 405 POEM #4 FOR b.b.L. 406 POEM FOR LAURA 407 POEM #6 FOR b.b.L. 407 POEM #7 for b.b.L. 408 INTIFADA INCANTATION: 408 POEM #8 FOR b.b.L. 408 TANKA METAPHORS OR NOT FOR b.b.L. 409 HAIKU FOR b.b.L. 409 POEM #9 FOR b.b.L. 409 KISSING GOD GOODBYE 410 Last Poems (1997 - 2001) 417 1997 BIRTHDAY POEM FOR b.b.L. 418 POEM ON THE DEATH OF PRINCESS DIANA 418 FOR ALICE WALKER 418 POEM AGAINST THE TEMPTATIONS OF AMBIVALENCE 418 POEM TOWARDS THE END OF A WINTER EVENING 418 T'ANG POEM #2 419 1998 MID-DAY PHILADELPHIA HAIKU 419 T'ANG POEM #3 419 FIRST ANNIVERSARY T'ANG POEM 419 POEM OF COMMITMENT 419 THE END OF KINDNESS: POEM FOR DR. ELIZABETH ANN KARLIN 421 POEM FOR ANNIE TOPHAM, PARTNER OF DR. ELIZABETH ANN KARLIN 422 I GUESS IT WAS MY DESTINY TO LIVE SO LONG 423 BRIDGET RUNNING 424 PLEASURES OF LOVE 425 SHAKESPEARE'S 116TH SONNET 425 IN BLACK ENGLISH TRANSLATION 425 POEM TO TAKE BACK THE NIGHT 426 KOSOVO FUGUE IN SEVEN PARTS 427 T'ANG POEM 431 NEW YEAR POEM 431 AS THE SUN SETS ALL THE WATER LETS 433 THE SKY SLIP 433 AWAY 433 2/27/01 433 SCENARIO REVISION #1 433 BUZZ OFF: ROMANTIC POEM #1 434 INTERIM MYSTERY POEM FOR HARUKO 434 LO QUE TENGO QUE DECIR 435 ODE #2 WRITTEN DURING CHEMOTHERAPY AT UCSF 435 OR 435 ODE TO I'D REALLY RATHER BE SAILING 435 POEM AT THE END OF THE THIRD WEEK 436 A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS 437 "Drizzle spills soft air" 439 (THOUGHTS OF) A TEENAGE AFRICAN GIRL 439 STANDING ON THE AUCTION BLOCK 439 "Bay waters rolling" 439 "Trumpet vine sneaks in" 440 FOR MOHAMMED AL-DIREH 440 MY VICTIM POEM 440 SNOW PEA 441 T'ANG POEM FOR AMADOU DIALLO 441 DECEMBER SNOWPEA POEM 442 LOVE SONG ABOUT CHOOSING YOUR BOOZE 443 RACIAL PROFILE #1 444 RACIAL PROFILE #2 444 RACIAL PROFILE #3 445 POEM FOR BLACK ENGLISH 445 OWED TO EMINEM 446 DEMOCRACY POEM #1 449 OWED TO EMINEM #2 449 POEM FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES 451 DEDICATED TO DR. ELIZABETH ANN KARLIN 452 ODE TO THE GUN LOBBY 453 IT'S HARD TO KEEP A CLEAN SHIRT CLEAN 453 TO BE CONTINUED: 456 POEM FOR SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA OF THE SAKYAS: 456 THE ORIGINAL BUDDHA 456
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