The Debt
 

by Paul Lawrence Dunbar

This is the debt I pay
Just for one riotous day,
Years of regret and grief,
Sorrow without relief.

Pay it I will to the end-
Until the grave, my friend,
Gives me a true release-
Gives me the clasp of peace.

Slight was the thing I bought,
Small was the debt I thought,
Poor was the loan at best-
GOD! but the interest!

Here's another poem I like:

MONEY
by Richard Armour

Workers earn it,
Spendthrifts Burn it,
Bankers lend it,
Women spend it,
Forgers fake it,
Taxes take it,
Dying leave it,
Heirs receive it,
Thrifty save it,
Misers crave it,
Robbers seize it,
Rich increase it,
Gamblers lose it,
I COULD USE IT.

I thought this thread was talking about Randall Robinson (of TransAfrica)'s recent book, THE DEBT--the case for African American Reparations.

Lawrence Dunbar was a great African American poet. Not as well as Langston Hughes, but definitely up there.

The problem with reparations in general is that 1) most white Americans' ancestors came in the late 1800s -- after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery 2) many blacks owned black slaves as well 3) where do you draw the line--have Italians (aka former Romans) collect reparations from Germans (aka Goths?).

Thats way to much for me to read.:arcadefre

Nice

Old but gold.

Security is better than money though...