Social Commentaries

Tableau

by Countee Cullen 1903–1946

From Color (1925)

Social Commentaries

Locked arm in arm they cross the way,
The black boy and the white,
The golden splendor of the day,
The sable pride of night.

From lowered blinds the dark folk stare,
And here the fair folk talk,
Indignant that these two should dare
In unison to walk.

Oblivious to look and word
They pass, and see no wonder
That lightning brilliant as a sword
Should blaze the path of thunder.

✦ ✦ ✦

For Donald Duff

MLA

Cullen, Countee. “Tableau.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/cullen/10/.

Chicago

Cullen, Countee. “Tableau.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/cullen/10/.

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