Small Talk at 125th and Lenox

This is just like listening

to a conversation being held

by the many people who congregate

on one of the most popular blocks

in the largest area of black America

Did you ever eat cornbread and black eye peas

Or watermelon and mustard greens?

Get high as you can on Saturday night

Go to church on Sunday to set things right

Listen

I seen Miss Blake after Willy yesterday

She'd've killed anybody who got in her way

Hey look I got a TV for a pound on the head

And Jimmy Jean got the best Panamanian Red

No I ain't got on no underclothes

But we all got to get through this gypsy rose

I think Clay got his very good points

You say a trade bag with thirteen joints?

Who cares if LBJ is in town?

Up with Stokely and H. Rap Brown

I don't know if the riots is wrong

But whitey's been kickin' my ass for too long

I was s'posed to baby but they held my pay.

Did you hear what the number was yesterday?

Junkies is all right when they ain't broke

They leaves you alone when they high on dope

Damn, but I wish I could get up and move

Shut up. Hell you know that ain't true.