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View Full Version : With apologies to Langston Hughes...



anaxarchos
03-08-2009, 02:24 PM
Langston Hughes was among the greatest American Poets. He can survive my butchering of his famous poem, "Ballad of Roosevelt".
http://www.geocities.com/nsj1uncp/Hughes_photo1.jpg

Ballad of Obama

The pot was empty,
The cupboard was bare.
I said, Papa,
What’s the matter here?
I’m waitin' on Obama, son,
Obama, Obama,
Waitin' on Obama, son
.
The rent was due,
And the lights was out.
I said, Tell me, Mama,
What’s it all about?
We’re waitin' on Obama, son,
Obama, Obama,
Just waitin' on Obama.

Sister got sick
And the doctor wouldn’t come
Cause we couldn’t pay him
The proper sum—
A-waitin on Obama,
Obama, Obama,
A-waitin' on Obama.

Then one day
They put us out o' the house.
Ma and Pa was Meek as a mouse
Still waitin' on Obama,
Obama, Obama.

But when they felt those
Cold winds blow
And didn’t have no
Place to go
Pa said, I’m tired
O’waitin' on Obama,
Obama, Obama.
Damn tired o‘ waitin’ on Obama.

I can’t git a job
And I can’t git no grub.
Backbone and navel’s
Doin' the belly-rub—
A-waitin' on Obama,
Obama, Obama.

And a lot o' other folks
What’s hungry and cold
Done stopped believin'
What they been told
By Obama,
Obama, Obama—

Cause the pot’s still empty,
And the cupboard’s still bare,
And you can’t build a
bungalow
Out o' air—
Mr. Obama, listen!
What’s the matter here?

choppedliver
03-08-2009, 07:16 PM
Don't think the apology is necessary, he's likely applauding somewhere...