"As I Grew Older" a poem by Langston Hughes
A poem from the public domain
Intro
February is Black History Month. All the public domain poems I’m sharing this month are by black poets.
You didn’t think we’d make it through Black History Month without me reading you a Langston Hughes poem, did you? Several of Hughes’ other poems are more well known, and more frequently taught in school—especially after the past few decades have been marred by removing arts and humanities from schools at all levels. I really hope public schools are still teaching him. That might depend on if the Texas Board of Education textbook committee has scrubbed your language arts books of black poets.
“As I Grew Older” touches on how our perspectives and experiences form with age, and for me, it says something about the ability to hope and to fight back against oppression.
I thought I would hate growing older, but coming out as a trans woman and beginning my transition has made me want to live. I want to grow old with my wife, and not too far from our kids, and maintain a well-stocked home library while she tends our garden. And cook each other dinner. And dance.
And Hughes’ rhythm in this poem…incredible, right?
The poem text is below, followed by my video reading.
💜Miranda📚
As I Grew Older
It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun,—
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my dream.
Rose slowly, slowly,
Dimming,
Hiding,
The light of my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky,—
The wall.
Shadow.
I am black.
I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
Only the shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find my dream!
Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
Of sun!