I will go into the city
I will find work
I will find work
I will remember you country woman
I will not forget you
your laugh your arguments
to learn
it is your way let it be
how can I foget your lips
enchanting smile
I will not forget
we walked in the rain
it was free and we were free
we agreed
the best of life is free
I will go into the city
I will find work
but you will be with country woman
when those city women come to devour me
their swee perfume
you will be there
you spirit will protect me
I will never forget
how we sipped $1.00 Margaritas
in the Mexican Cafe in Chinatown
our ride to the lake
picnic on the hill
ranger spotted us in his binoculars
we did not care
filled
with the Holy Spirit of Love
how can I forget
hours in bed
children of the love spirit
one moment
man and woman one
discovered missing self
eternal self
self of love
self of joy
self of happiness realized
I will go into the city
I will find work
I will not forget you country woman
I will return to claim you
in the name of Love
I will claim you
because you woman
I will claim you
you are feeling spirit
I will claim you
you have given yourself to me
so totally
I will claim you
in the name of Allah
I will claim you
for the Glory of Allah
I will claim you.
--Marvin X
from Selected Poems, Al Kitab Sudan (Black Bird Press), 1979, Marvin X. In 1979 Marvin X was teaching English at the University of Nevada, Reno and working as a planner/data analyst at a community agency in Redo. Through the Nevada Humanities Committee, he received two planning grants from the National Endowments for the Humanities.