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. 18 That night at least the world was ours to spend, nor were we misers. 19 Ah, Morningside with Maytime awhispering in the foliage! 20 Alone, atop the city,-the tramps were still in shelter--- 21 And moralizing lights that peered up from the murky distance 22 Seemed soft as our two cigarette ends burning slowly, dimly, 23 And careless as the jade stars that winked upon our gladness.... 24 And when I flicked my cigarette, and we watched it falling, falling, 25 It seemed a shooting meteor, that we, most proud creators 26 Sent down in gay capriciousness upon a trivial Harlem--- 27 And then I madly quoted lyrics from old kindred masters, 28 Who wrote of you, unknowing you, for far more lucky me--- 29 And you sang broken bits of song, and we both slept in snatches, 30 And so the night sped on too swift, with grapes, and words and kisses, 31 And numberless cigarette ends glowing in the darkness 32 Old Harlem slept regardless, but a motherly old moon--- 33 Shone down benevolently on two happy wastrel lovers.... [Page 157 ] Brown, Sterling Allen, 1901-1989 : Negro Improvement League 1 I wondered at the huge blockade 2 At the ridiculous parade 3 That limped along in the straitlaced coats 4 And Sunday shoes too tight--- 5 Old men and women comfortless 6 Would curse dearbought impressiveness 7 And Seventh Avenue's scorching heat, 8 In stuffy flats, that night 9 I knew, and so, I puzzled out 10 Just what the fuss was all about 11 Just why the noise and feathers, and 12 Regalia absurd 13 And what new dreams could now convoke 14 My gullible and naive folk 15 To strut their stuff so painfully 16 Until at Thirty Third 17 I quickly understood the why--- 18 For there, most startling, not my eye 19 A most sufficient reason---an 20 Achievement of the race--- 21 For who was there but Gwendolyn 22 With a frock she looked quite stunning in 23 And a brand new hat, near worthy of 24 Her impudent brown face 25 Her roguish shoulders, and her neat 26 And pretty legs, and naughty feet 27 In patent leather slippers, all 28 Were really quite too bad 29 Progressive Ethiopians, 30 Societies for Race Advance, 31 Should go down on their knees, and thank 32 Her mother and her dad. [Page 158 ] Brown, Sterling Allen, 1901-1989 : The Temple 1 The orator finished his eulogy, 2 A voice rang through the hall, 3 "Would you mind if I akst a few queshuns?" 4 "My dear mohn, not at all." 5 "War die Marrcus Garrvey a gretter mohn 6 Dan General George Washingtum war?" 7 "Why certainly, mohn, assuredly, mohn, 8 A greater mohn by far." 9 "Well what about Booker Washington, 10 Have Marrcus got him beat?" 11 "Why, mohn, what have de Booker done 12 To equal de Blahck Star Fleet? " 13 "War he gretter dan Abraham Lincoln 14 What set de niggruhs free?" 15 "Oi yes, mohn, Marcus have done more, 16 Marcus are greater than he." 17 "War he gretter mohn dan Pershing 18 De mohn what won de war?" 19 "Oi yes mohn, Marcus Garvey 20 He have accumplished more." 21 "War he greater dan Herbert Hoover 22 De prasident of dese stet'?" 23 "Oi, mohn, don't be de bressed fool, 24 Hoover he not so gret." 25 "Well, one mo' queshun I like to aksk 26 An' den I shall be done; 27 Ar he de gretter mohn dan Jesus Christ 28 Who die for every wan?" 29 The crowd was breathless; the orator's brow 30 Beaded with honest sweat, 31 "Well ... Oi, mohn, give de faller little chahnce 32 He de very young mohn yet...." [Page 159 ] Brown, Sterling Allen, 1901-1989 : Roberta Lee 1 A Lee of Lewisburg in this place. 2 Surely the gray ghost of her father's father 3 Would toss in his dark grave, and set the medals 4 Jingling upon the Confederate chest, still arched. 5 She, Roberta Lee, in this hell-hole of the North 6 A Harlem cabaret, logical outcome of Appomattox 7 She gestured for another drink of gin, 8 Bar sinister relative, for damyanks and niggers, 9 Of bourbon in tall glasses, frosty and delicate, 10 Crowned with a sprig of mint. 11 Roberta! 12 She hated all of this, and took another drink. 13 But though her mind grew cloudy, her eyes were fiercer 14 Probing the murk to fix the devilishness. 15 Twelve undraped maenads, some nearly as white as she, 16 Some even blonde, the darkest a rose-brown, 17 Whipped into contortions, lithely provocative, 18 Tap-danced, pirouetted, whirled through a skilled routine. 19 "The hussies," thought Roberta, and gulped down the raw gin 20 One danced beside her table with abandon, 21 Upon her plump firm thigh a mole; within 22 Her sparkling eyes a daring and a surety. 23 Henry applauded, beamed, showed the world he liked it. 24 "And he from Texas, too," Roberta thought. 25 Then wearily, "Perhaps that is the reason." 26 Suddenly, she turned to the dancing girl, 27 "Get away," she whispered, and her mind 28 Concerned with Texas Henry, filled with sickly fear, 29 Remembering; her bitter eyes spoke more: "You sassy wench 30 You lewd and impudent nigger, get the hell away." 31 But to the rose of Dixie, to Roberta, Southerner, 32 The chorine presented, due South, a Southern exposure. 33 Roberta shuddered. How she hated it all: 34 The elaborate hangings, the sensuous decorations 35 The reek of cigarette smoke, perfume, and liquor, 36 The oily Jew who introduced the 'artists', 37 The bold glances of the sleek boys in the band, 38 Of a group of Negroes grouped in a far corner, 39 Even their quiet was to be resented--- 40 "They seem like dark cats ready for a spring" [Page 160 ] 41 But most she was revolted at the girls, 42 Proud of their beauty, decked out in fetching costumes, 43 Now in neat bandanas and blue ginghams 44 Quickly pulled above their shapely knees, 45 Now in silk shorts and jeweled brassieres, 46 "Disgusting immorality," thought Roberta, 47 And wondered if Texas Henry would like them better than her. 48 "I always heard that they could love," she mused. 49 "I hate them, oh, I hate them," she cried aloud 50 "Hate who?" "Oh, give me another drink" 51 She drank and coughed. 52 "Oh less go home; don't wanta see any mo." 53 Then he appeared. 54 Ape-like in body, with his long arms dangling, 55 Nearly to his feet resembling flatboats, 56 Upon his head a crazy hat, his face 57 A black mask, except for large white circles 58 About his eyes, and thickly painted lips. 59 He danced. 60 She drank some more to wake her to attention. 61 He shuffled his flat feet, swing back and fro, 62 Grotesque, ridiculous; he could not keep his balance, 63 His lips got in his way, he fell to the slippery floor, 64 While the drummer struck zip, boom, to time his falling. 65 He arched over backwards, fell upon his head, 66 Boom went the drum, bang went the cymbals, 67 "Oh isn't that lovely," breathed Roberta. 68 "That's the kind of nigger I know," said Roberta, 69 Too rapt to hear Texas Henry's "Oh yeah?" 70 And she remembered all she had heard 71 Her grandfather declaim of the golden age, 72 "The niggruh," he had said, "is the most comical animal" 73 The clown fell over himself a few more times. 74 Bent over backwards to pick up his handkerchief 75 Between his teeth; half rose, half fell; Roberta tittered; 76 Then he fell bang, bang, somersaulted, crept off, 77 Gorilla like, with stupid mask impassive 78 Applause rose to the low-ceiling, round on round. 79 He made one bow, then disappeared for good.