Etheridge Knight began writing poetry while an inmate at the Indiana State Prison and published his first collection, Poems from Prison, in 1968. His poem "The Idea of Ancestry" shows us what a man in prison finds time to count:
The Idea of Ancestry by Etheridge Knight
1
Taped to the wall of my cell are 47 pictures: 47 black
faces: my father, mother, grandmothers (1 dead), grand-
fathers (both dead), brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts,
cousins (1st and 2nd), nieces, and nephews. They stare
across the space at me sprawling on my bunk. I know
their dark eyes, they know mine. I know their style,
they know mine. I am all of them, they are all of me;
they are farmers, I am a thief, I am me, they are thee.
Showing posts with label 47. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 47. Show all posts
Friday, July 8, 2011
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