LAKE COUNTY — On this day in 1908, the American novelist Richard Wright was born on a plantation in southwestern Mississippi.
Eventually relocating to Harlem, New York, Wright worked for a time as the editor of a Communist newspaper as he worked on his fiction. In 1940 he published “Native Son,” painting a dark picture of American anti-black racism via the tragic narrative of the book’s protagonist, Bigger Thomas. Wright’s other notable works include “Black Boy,” “Uncle Tom’s Children,” and “The Outsider.”
Below are poems from two local poets:
Two Poems
Late Spring/Early Summer
Working outside in the hell-fire sun—what happened to our Spring—it’s Summer already? I will cover my arms and wear a bandanna under my hat to absorb the sweat. I will limit my time; discipline myself to not get carried away with a weed here, another weed there and look at all those weeds, crying to be pulled to free the baby oak from the chaos that surrounds it. Chaos of our own making as we designate which plants belong and which do not.
Even if it means leaving a project half-finished, I will come inside out of the sun, rinse my face and with a glass of water lie down in a position that leaves enough room in my chest for my heart to beat at a regular pace, pacing myself and listening to the rhythms on which all life depends.
Getting Ready
I remember somewhere in my forties looking into a large vanity mirror and assuming my skin would always be smooth. I was getting ready to go out. It wasn’t until I turned seventy-one, over the last and final hill, that I realized the jig was up—the end of magical thinking a long time coming and I find myself again getting ready to go out.
— Wendy Overin
Two Haikus:
Splashing
Summer means splashing! I love splashing in my pool! Splashing is so fun!
Horses
Of all animals, horses are my favorite! They are beautiful.
— Lovita Castro
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The Creative Expressions column is a space for local Lake County poets and writers to share their work with their community. Creative Expressions is supported by the Lake County Arts Council. For more information and to submit a poem or short piece of creative writing, email rvschmidt2@gmail.com.
