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Langston Hughes - Brass Spittoons
Work rating: Medium

Clean the spittoons, boy. 
      Detroit, 
      Chicago, 
      Atlantic City, 
      Palm Beach. 
Clean the spittoons. 
The steam in hotel kitchens, 
And the smoke in hotel lobbies, 
And the slime in hotel spittoons: 
Part of my life. 
      Hey, boy! 
      A nickel, 
      A dime, 
      A dollar, 
Two dollars a day. 
      Hey, boy! 
      A nickel, 
      A dime, 
      A dollar, 
      Two dollars 
Buy shoes for the baby. 
House rent to pay. 
Gin on Saturday, 
Church on Sunday. 
      My God! 
Babies and gin and church 
And women and Sunday 
All mixed with dimes and 
Dollars and clean spittoons 
And house rent to pay. 
      Hey, boy! 
A bright bowl of brass is beautiful to the Lord. 
Bright polished brass like the cymbals 
Of King David’s dancers, 
Like the wine cups of Solomon. 
      Hey, boy! 
A clean spittoon on the altar of the Lord. 
A clean bright spittoon all newly polished— 
At least I can offer that. 
      Com’mere, boy!
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