For poems are like rainbows; they escape you quickly. Langston Hughes More Quotes by Langston Hughes More Quotes From Langston Hughes Negro blood is sure powerful, because just one drop of black blood makes a colored man. One drop--you are a Negro! . . . Black is powerful. Langston Hughes powerfulmenblood I swear to the Lord, I still can't see, why Democracy means, everybody but me. Langston Hughes politicalracismmean Looks like what drives me crazy Don't have no effect on you-- But I'm gonna keep on at it Till it drives you crazy, too. Langston Hughes drive-me-crazycrazylooks I stuck my head out the window this morning and spring kissed me bang in the face. Langston Hughes bangsspringmorning 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. Langston Hughes darksonfall Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Langston Hughes useddreamamerica I wish the rent Was heaven sent. Langston Hughes heaven-sentwishheaven If the government can set aside some spot for a elk to be a elk without being bothered, or a buffalo to be a buffalo without being shot down, there ought to be some place where a Negro can be a Negro without being Jim Crowed. Langston Hughes buffalogovernmentrights Life is an egg you have to be patient and careful with it or it will break. Langston Hughes eggspatientlife-is Through my grandmother's stories always life moved, moved heroically toward an end. Nobody ever cried in my grandmother's stories. They worked, or schemed, or fought. But no crying. When my grandmother died, I didn't cry, either. Something about my grandmother's stories (without her ever having said so) taught me the uselessness of crying about anything." Langston Hughes taughtgrandmotherstories Life is a system of half-truths and lies, Opportunistic, convenient evasion. Langston Hughes inspirational-lifehalflying For my best poems were all written when I felt the worst. When I was happy, I didn't write anything. Langston Hughes best-poemworstwriting Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death, The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies, We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. The mountains and the endless plain-- All, all the stretch of these great green states-- And make America again! Langston Hughes landriverslying There's a certain amount of traveling in a dream deferred. Langston Hughes amountcertaindream Out of love, No regrets-- Though the goodness Be wasted forever. Out of love, No regrets-- Though the return Be never. Langston Hughes returnregretforever I've been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me, Looks like between 'em they done Tried to make me Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'-- But I don't care! I'm still here! Langston Hughes snowwindlooks Teach us all to do right, Lord, please, and to get along together with that atom bomb on this earth because I do not want it to fall on me-nor Thee-nor anybody living. Amen! Langston Hughes atomstogetherfall We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. The tom-tom cries and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves. Langston Hughes strongdarkbeautiful Keep your hand on the plow. Hold on. Langston Hughes hands I loved my friend He went away from me There's nothing more to say The poem ends, Soft as it began- I loved my friend. Langston Hughes my-friendsends
