The Negro Mother

I am the Negro Mother. The rose stands tall in the garden of the world. With every beat of my heart, I cradled this land in my arms, And watched it breathe, grow wild and free.

I have loved those wild blacks, Chased by the ripples and rivers, The spirit hangs upon their roots, A dancing, spinning song, The chorus of ages past.

I welcome the sun’s rise, As I gather blooms to fill the air, And on this ground, I spread my wings To speak of freedom sweet.

I’ll teach liberty, Like fresh cool water to the parched, To the distant, to the ones still lost, To those who bear heartache today— Branches of the oak tree, Freedom is in the roots.

I am the Negro Mother, And the day will come, What shadows once wrapped tight, Will now stand strong and whole, Beneath a blazing sun— freedom’s truth.

—Langston Hughes

• Langston Hughes