Part 1: The Unveiling
From the Berkshires and heavenly hills
descended Willie in 1868.
Wearing a top hat and wielding a cane
he strode through Europe’s colonial past—
his intellect decolonized.
A Van Dyke beard, precisely
cropped, mirrored clipped
New England diction that
polished his fancy words
like chrome.
On a brown, shiny dome of wisdom
resided rebellious follicles
After Egypt, India, Greece, Rome, Teuton, Mongol,
there was the Negro, progeny with veil
and second sight, aware of others, yet
look at himself as someone would let
their lexicon of narrow living become his
dictate. Du Bois seeing double, his black lens
courted folks to image free thinkin’ selves.
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Phillip Luke Sinitiere: When did you first study W.E.B. Du Bois? In what context did you encounter his work and ideas? What text(s) did you read initially and how did it/they strike your imagination?
That He, born and bred behind
veils of color of class of light black
temperance stained by rum
soaked memories of nannies, nets
slave narratives. That He, who taught
who sought to read and write us
free. To freedom us from crisis. We the
people. Purloined. Purchased. Color
ful salad seasoned and prepared for the
great white stomach. We be and ain’t. We
could and cain’t. That He who