Today I read poems from Langston Hughes. He seemed like a man who thought a lot. His every journey from a night on the town to his woman of interest, he wrote into a poem. Even his trials of being African American and the struggles he endured. I like reading and hearing from writers and artists from the past because they didn’t hide their feelings. Langston Hughes wrote real vulnerabilities in his poetry. Things that real life people suffer with every day. They remind me that tears are not taboo. Reading his poetry brings me back to reality.
Many trials have been overcome, and many trials have been lost. I am always rooting for the downtrodden and wanting something good to finally come into their life. It seems that at one point Langston was downtrodden. Now today he is Langston Hughes. I bet he never thought there would be a day when his name alone is the Trophy. He traveled a lot, seeing the world from many different angles. He saw the people that were unseen in society, and he wrote from a distant point of view but like it was the person’s own feelings. He wrote about the rich in society the same.
The Eyes of A Deep Soul
After reading some of his poetry I look at the cover of his book and in his eyes I see a man with a deep soul. He looks real in the eyes. You can see pain but not in a bad way. He seems like he knows that life comes with pain. You see strength. Like a man who will never give up. There is also a mystery that drives his curiosity of the world and people. Langston Hughes also seems to be a realist in a way. Not to driven in fantasies.
This is all just me trying to understand this great poet. With that, I am not an expert or even trained in understanding the human mind. Pushing myself to understand another human from the little they willingly share with me helps me to understand humanity in a unbiased way. If I can understand a person from the little I learn, I can understand the complexities of humanity.
When I look into his eyes, I also see a dark side. A dark side does not always mean evil. In this case I don’t mean evil only a dark side. In addition, he seems like a sensitive man. Being able to feel and connect with all things in his path. There is something about the eyes and a voice of a person that intrigues me. It is so intimate to me in a non-sexual way that I can barely look people in the eyes. It is intense at times. Though it is sometimes easy. Most times it has nothing to do with the other person whether it is easy or not. Langston has special eyes. They tell a story.
