Friday, February 6, 2009

Poetry Choice: African American Poetry

Honey, I Love and other love poems



Looking for a way to kick off a program celebrating Black Heritage month?
Why not open the celebration with this poem from, “Honey, I Love and other love poems” by Eloise Greenfield and beautifully illustrated by Diane and Leo Dillon.

Written in 1978 this poem has the same powerful message today. Being a hero, standing brave, doing the right thing, even when the consequences could and would mean losing your life.

Now you can challenge students to find new heroes.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff
Wasn’t scared of nothing neither
Didn’t come in this world to be no slave
And wasn’t going to stay on either


"Farewell!" she sang to her friends one night
She was mighty sad to leave ‘em
But she ran away that dark, hot night
Ran looking for her freedom


She ran to the woods and she ran through the woods
With the slave catchers right behind her
And she kept on going till she got to the North
Where those mean men couldn’t find her


Nineteen times she went back South
To get three hundred others
She ran for her freedom nineteen times
To save Black sisters and brothers
Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff
Wasn’t scared of nothing neither
Didn’t come in this world to be no slave
And didn’t stay one either

And didn’t stay one either


Greenfield, Eloise. 1978. “Honey, I Love and other love poems”. Harriet Tubman. New York, NY: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.

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