Thank you, Langston
Langston Hughes (1902–1967) ? By Winold Reiss (1886–1953) / Pastel on illustration board, ca. 1925 / 30 1/16 x 21 5/8 in. (76.3 x 54.9 cm) /
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of W. Tjark Reiss, in memory of his father, Winold Reiss
I found peace last night after setting my phone down—
high and far enough from me that the downward draw
of my YouTube feed could no longer entice.
The Big Sea, thick, heavy, and solid in my hands,
pages smelling of earth and breezy memories;
on the cover, a contented fellow staring down
at what I can only imagine is his very own masterpiece.
“Melodramatic,” it seemed to him, and yet,
here I am at 41, finding rhythm again in printed banter.
A familiar feeling, fluttering in my chest,
revived by the very first page.
Thank you, Langston.
Thank you, for my heart commanded my hands
to flip the book down to rest so that I can be here now.
As I am, I am here now—present with all my emotions,
all my senses, floating upon your melody.
