My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Good evening, daddy! Ain't you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? Trilling the treble And twining the bass Into midnight ruffles Of cat-gut lace.

Gather out of star-dust, Earth-dust, Cloud-dust, Storm-dust, And splinters of hail, One handful of dream-dust, Not for sale.

I've been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me, Looks like between 'em they done Tried to make me Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'-- But I don't care! I'm still here!

Life is a big sea full of many fish. I let down my nets and pulled. I'm still pulling.

One of the great difficulties about being a member of a minority race is that so many kindhearted, well-meaning bores gather around to help.

Frosting Freedom Is just frosting On somebody else's Cake-- And so must be Till we Learn how to Bake.