And, yeah brothers <br />while white America sings about the unsinkable molly brown <br />(who was hustling the titanic <br />when it went down) <br />I sing to thee of Shine <br />the stoker who was hip enough to flee the fucking ship <br />and let the white folks drown <br />with screams on their lips <br />(jumped his black ass into the dark sea, Shine did, <br />broke free from the straining steel). <br />Yeah, I sing to thee of Shine <br />and how the millionaire banker stood on the deck <br />and pulled from his pockets a million dollar check <br />saying Shine Shine save poor me <br />and I'll give you all the money a black boy needs— <br />how Shine looked at the money and then at the sea <br />and said jump in muthafucka and swim like me— <br />and Shine swam on—Shine swam on— <br />and how the banker's daughter ran naked on the deck <br />with her pink tits trembling and her pants roun her neck <br />screaming Shine Shine save poor me <br />and I'll give you all the pussy a black boy needs— <br />how Shine said now pussy is good and that's no jive <br />but you got to swim not fuck to stay alive— <br />And Shine swam on Shine Swam on— <br /> <br />How Shine swam past a preacher afloating on a board <br />crying save me nigger Shine in the name of the Lord— <br />and how the preacher grabbed Shine's arm and broke his stroke— <br />how Shine pulled his shank and cut the preacher's throat— <br />And Shine swam on—Shine swam on— <br />And when news hit shore that the titanic had sunk <br />Shine was up in Harlem damn near drunk—<br /><br />Etheridge Knight<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dark-prophecy-i-sing-of-shine/
