The Bitter River

There is a bitter river Flowing through the South. Too long has the taste of its water Been in my mouth. There is a bitter river Dark with filth and mud. Too long has its evil poison Poisoned my blood. I've drunk of the bitter river And its gall coats the red of my tongue, Mixed with the blood of the lynched boys From its iron bridge hung, Mixed with the hopes that are drowned there In the snake-like hiss of its stream Where I drank of the bitter river That strangled my dream: The book studied-but useless, Tool handled-but unused, Knowledge acquired but thrown away, Ambition battered and bruised. Oh, water of the bitter river With your taste of blood and clay, You reflect no stars by night, No sun by day. The bitter river reflects no stars- It gives back only the glint of steel bars And dark bitter faces behind steel bars: The Scottsboro boys behind steel bars, Lewis Jones behind steel bars, The voteless share- cropper behind steel bars, The labor leader behind steel bars, The soldier thrown from a Jim Crow bus behind steel bars, The 150 mugger behind steel bars, The girl who sells her body behind steel bars, And my grandfather's back with its ladder of scars Long ago, long ago- the whip and steel bars- The bitter river reflects no stars. "Wait, be patient," you say. "Your folks will have a better day." But the swirl of the bitter river Takes your words away. "Work, education, patience Will bring a better day-" The swirl of the bitter river Carries your "patience" away. "Disrupter! Agitator! Trouble maker!" you say. The swirl of the bitter river Sweeps your lies away. I did not ask for this river Nor the taste of its bitter brew. I was given its water As a gift from you. Yours has been the power To force my back to the wall And make me drink of the bitter cup Mixed with blood and gall. You have lynched my comrades Where the iron bridge crosses the stream, Underpaid me for my labor, And spit in the face of my dream. You forced me to the bitter river With the hiss of its snake-like song- Now your words no longer have meaning- I have drunk at the river too long: Dreamer of dreams to be broken, Builder of hopes to be smashed, Loser from an empty pocket Of my meagre cash, Bitter bearer of burdens And singer of weary song, I've drunk at the bitter river With its filth and its mud too long. Tired now of the bitter river, Tired now of the pat on the back, Tired now of the steel bars Because my face is black, I'm tired of segregation, Tired of filth and mud, I've drunk of the bitter river And it's turned to steel in my blood. Oh, tragic bitter river Where the lynched boys hung, The gall of your bitter water Coats my tongue. The blood of your bitter water For me gives back no stars. I'm tired of the bitter river! Tired of the bars.