Cane

71

A

stores, restaurants, And cabare

od-red smoke u

eaven? God wou

ed blood. A

head in shame a

y. Who set

s in silken shirts, Ballooned, zooming Cadillacs

72

OB

a house, lik

t, on his hea

d shaky becaus

He is way dow

thing, stuffed, Prop up in t

use is a dead t

is sinking as

uld the water b

ggling, micros

m. Compresses

he minute that h

eep it in. Life

draw

water that is b

water that is b

is stuffed. T

ful to draw one'

dead house.

cave in and t

ded life-pulp.

have one's own

73

A

pright man whos

ky because as

earth is roun

rounds it. Sink

ross man with

p who's waiting

hery. God buil

into its stuffin

Him who can d

hing like the

g of the questio

be drawn off? R

t men who wear

ure it exerts i

practical infin

s to whether or

nd children ag

drown in his

ously in the mud

him goes straigh

's-apple which

were painfull

. . air floatin

a banty-bowed, Shaky, ricket-

roat against sm

s about the glo

74

OB

er. . He is w

his banty kne

ple will be lo

strong man. No

rickets. Lets

reat when the w

off. Lets build

oze where he go

k, carved in ni

ats, brother,

hen he g

Rhobert i

rother, Lets sing Deep R

75

V

ile she was no

ose skirted be

e disdain to pl

her, timidly,

not know. But

me one night,

s long pants. Us

curb before an

gone in. The y

heir boxes the

m. When our le

he cold of the s

whittle it. I l

a hidden purpos

our knives. I l

to the trees, The young trees t

. . On the parti

waiting for the

nted to see Avey

tayed longer tha

V

omplete the plan

and beat that f

wn. Ned especia

out to throw a

last the room

. Then Avey, a

, Came out. I don't remember what she had on, A

bare pavements

oast: "Hell, be

le niggers were

verything." I

nt my way then

thers, and somet

ver noticed us, But swung alon

corner and watc

Ned repeated w

care. Sitting

x, the discussi

w she gets away

ew, of course.

now when it ca

emotional needs

A

ch different f

ncluded with th

d." None of us

t; but it was the

couple of the fe

t Ned playing

sputing the sup

. Bubs Sanbor

th Avey's, had

"Avey's mother

ht that only n

at would happe

t feller on the

lie because Av

but him. We h

t we did agree

and marry som

went home, pic

rie

seemed able to

me. I played b

long clean sho

er than they, I

et, and there'd

78

V

said hello. She

me by my name.

y voice down a t

neuver when I

reciation, but

ver for me. It

to Riverview

me into accou

ng merry-go-rou

t-the-chutes.

we had danced

She didnt kn

ed her how to k

Of course she

e thanked me fo

o somewhat of

ticed that lov

We danced. Bu

my arms, she wa

who lived on th

ng money for t

she was thinki

long. He treat

She went with

ne by one the b

A

them. And they

s is the reason, I guess, why I

sely that nigh

c, coming hom

air was sweet l

en, a salt tang,

s not my mind's

should have t

e we were stow

lied, dreaming.

d feel by the to

-woman love. I

hagrined. I di

know that I cou

gers through my

itched to bre

assion. I wante

knew she had that

o love me pass

e her one burn

er lap as if I w

when she starte

nt let me go.

t I could beat

V

nd misty, the cu

nd her smile se

e of my remark

love me, silently

illiant. The ai

ry now and then

ft of sea

I came close

er at Harpers

at projecting r

Leap. Some one

it. The river

th. A railroad

s out of sight w

had to be blas

e engines of th

oes of which sou

I always think

e soul of Ave

Our palms wer

er. Our fingers

let them be. S

I wanted to t

o her. Avey wa

ees whose tops