NO HIDING PLACE [By Brown, SA, 1901-]
NO HIDING PLACE [By Brown, S. A., 1901-] Went down to the rocks to hide my face, The rocks cried out no hiding place. to Michael Harper, recoverer Michael Winston, restorer Michael Campbell, godson Sterling Stuckey, renewer Sterling Jenkins, godson [Page 155 ] Part One Brown, Sterling Allen, 1901-1989 : Harlem Happiness 1 I think there is in this the stuff for many lyrics:--- 2 A dago fruit stand at three A.M.; the wop asleep, his woman 3 Knitting a tiny garment, laughing when we approached her, 4 Flashing a smile from white teeth, then weighing out the grapes, 5 Grapes large as plums, and tart and sweet as---well we know the lady 6 And purplish red and firm, quite as this lady's lips are.... 7 We laughed, all three when she awoke her swarthy, snoring Pietro 8 To make us change, which we, rich paupers, left to help the garment. 9 We swaggered off; while they two stared, and laughed in understanding, 10 And thanked us lovers who brought back an old Etrurian springtide. 11 Then, once beyond their light, a step beyond their pearly smiling 12 We tasted grapes and tasted lips, and laughed at sleepy Harlem, [Page 156 ] 13 And when the huge Mick cop stomped by, a'swingin' of his billy 14 You nodded to him gaily, and I kissed you with him looking, 15 Beneath the swinging light that weakly fought against the mist 16 That settled on Eighth Avenue, and curled around the houses. 17 And he grinned too and understood the wisdom of our madness.
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