as if i made it,
as if i sculpted it
with my own hands. i did not.
this past was waiting for me
when i came,
a monstrous unnamed baby,
and i with my mother’s itch
took it to breast
and named it
History.
she is more human now,
learning languages everyday,
remembering faces, names and dates.
when she is strong enough to travel
on her own, beware, she will.
-Lucille Clifton, 1936-2010
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
She is amazing and her passing breaks my heart a little.
From “here rests” (http://tinyurl.com/hererests):
may heaven be filled
with literate men
may they bed you
with respect.
Ms. Clifton was a wonderful writer and a patient teacher. May she rest in peace.
Lucille was a wonderful teacher, writer and mentor – she will be missed!! RIP Lucille.
Don’t judge me for this…but this is one of those moments where I have to google up to find out who this is.
….Though….in just this small passage….i can tell she had the ability to touch many of lives with her words…and she wrote from truth, courage, and wisdom.
yes. I can tell from just this. Now excuse me while i unlearn what Pennsylvania called “an education”….and discover so much i hadn’t known about.
IT’S CULTURE CRAZY,
NOVA
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Jay, I cannot thank you enough for posting this message/tribute/lesson, enriching my day and my life.
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