Poetry In Motion

I've never considered myself one who enjoyed poetry. I'm too impatient to slow down enough to appreciate all its layers. But the past couple of weeks, I've stumbled upon two poems that brought tears to my eyes: Because of their truth, their beauty and the clean way they used the English language to evoke so much emotion.

The first one I found was in a bookstore in South Carolina. It's from Langston Hughes and here it is:

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now --
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

I can't think of any greater wisdom to share with my own son than to keep climbing... Thank you Mr. Hughes.

I'll post the next one in a day or two.