The Quotation Of The Day Mailing List
Quotation of the Day for December 25, 2003
Ballad of Harry Moore, by Langston Hughes
Florida means land of flowers. It was on Christmas night In the state named for the flowers Men came bearing dynamite.
Men came stealing through the orange groves Bearing hate instead of love, While the Star of Bethlehem Was in the sky above.
Oh, memories of a Christmas evening When Wise Men traveled from afar Seeking out a lowly manger Guided by a Holy Star!
Oh, memories of a Christmas evenin When to Bethlehem there came "Peace on earth, good will to men"-- Jesus was His name.
But they must've forgotten Jesus Down in Florida that night Stealing through the orange groves Bearing hate and dynamite.
It was a little cottage, A family, name of Moore. In the windows wreaths of holly, And a pine wreath on the door.
Christmas, 1951, The family prayers were said When father, mother, daughter, And grandmother went to bed.
The father's name was Harry Moore. The N.A.A.C.P. Told him to carry out its work That Negroes might be free.
So it was that Harry Moore (So deeply did he care) Sought the right for men to live With their heads up everywhere.
Because of that, white killers, Who like Negroes "in their place," Came stealing through the orange groves On that night of dark disgrace.
It could not be in Jesus' name, Beneath the bedroom floor, On Christmas night the killers Hid the bomb for Harry Moore.
It could not be in Jesus' name The killers took his life, Blew his home to pieces And killed his faithful wife.
It could not be for the sake of love They did this awful thing-- For when the bomb exploded No hearts were heard to sing.
And certainly no angels cried, "Peace on earth, good will to men"-- But around the world an echo hurled A question: When?...When?....When?
When will men for sake of peace And for democracy Learn no bombs a man can make Keep men from being free?
It seems that I hear Harry Moore. From the earth his voice cries, No bomb can kill the dreams I hold-- For freedom never dies!
I will not stop! I will not stop-- For freedom never dies! I will not stop! I will not stop! Freedom never dies!
So should you see our Harry Moore Walking on a Christmas night, Don't run and hide, you killers, He has no dynamite.
In his heart is only love For all the human race, And all he wants is for every man To have his rightful place.
And this he says, our Harry Moore, As from the grave he cries: No bomb can kill the dreams I hold For freedom never dies!
Freedom never dies, I say! Freedom never dies!
- from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, editor Arlond Rampersad and associate editor David Roessel. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995, pages 588-590. (Moore was killed at Mims, Florida, on Christmas night, 1951.)
Submitted by: Mike Krawchuk
Feb. 4, 2003