Monday, June 18, 2007

A Raisin In The Sun

When I was in college, I had to take a multi-cultural literature class. I, like many of my classmates (and I suspect boatloads of others) felt like this was a total waste of time and money.

Anyway, one semester, the only class that I could take that remotely fit into the set of classes that I had to take was an African-American Lit Class.

Even though I didn't WANT to take the class, even though there were many weeks of arguments, disagreements and discussions this turned out to be one of the best classes I took in college.

I suspect that's the reason why students have to take classes like this and I am glad for the experience....drat!

I said all that to say, the last several days the poem Harlem, by Langston Hughes has been going through my pea brain, so I figured I'd share it:

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?