In the Land of Words

(Empress of the Blues [Bessie Smith], acrylic, pencil, and
paper collage by Romare Bearden, 1911-1988, American
artist and writer)

Eloise Greenfield, born in 1929, is an American writer of more than 45 books for children — novels, biographies, and collections of poetry. Her works reflect the African American linguistic and musical culture in which she was raised.

“With the poetry and prose, I think the music that you grow up with, and that you love, is a part of you. It’s a part of your speech and a part of your personality. And so there are times when I consciously decide that I want to write about music, for example, the blues poem ‘My Daddy’ in Nathaniel Talking. But there are other times when I just hear the music of speech, and when I’m writing, it flows into the work.”

IN THE LAND OF WORDS

In the land
of words,
I stand as still
as a tree
and let the words
rain down on me.
Come, rain, bring
your knowledge and your
music. Sing
while I grow green
and full.
I’ll stand as still
as a tree,
and let your blessings
fall on me.