Analysis of Carolyn Marie Rodgers, remembered.

Black woman poet, born 1940 Chicago

When they say this to the child,

when they murmur this to

the retreaters, when they chide

the innocents, when they mouth this

to the God-fearing, God-loving,

(christe eleison) grow up in this world.

grow up, and not in the direction towards

which stars burn, they mean grow evil, evil…

the morning glories wrap themselves as they crawl up the grey garden fence.

like snakes, they wrap themselves around the

bless the Lord,

oh, my soul.

(Eden Press, 1989)