Warm Manure

Un-American Investigators

The committee's fat,

Smug, almost secure

Co-religionists

Shiver with delight

In warm manure

As those investigated-

Too brave to name a name-

Have pseudonyms revealed

In Gentile game

  Of who,

  Born Jew,

  Is who?

Is not your name lipshitz?

  Yes.

Did you not change it

For subversive purposes?

  No.

For nefarious gain?

  Not so.

Are you sure?

The committee shivers

With delight in

Its warm manure.

~Langston Hughes, The Panther and the Lash

- - - - - - - - -

" 'Your honery'," Simple elsewhere had threatened to testify, if called long as I have been black, I been an American.  Also I was a democrat-but I didn't know Roosevelt was going to die.'  Then I would ask them, 'How come you don't have any Negroes on your Un-American Committee?'  And old Chairman Georgia would say, 'Because that is un-American'."

~Langston Hughes, (Jesse B Simple), Arnold Rampersad, The Life Of Langston Hughes Vol. II,  p217