We Die Soon

Now, That Sets the Standard
Gwendolyn Brooks introduced a poignant poem in The Bean Eaters, a 1960 collection of her works.

THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

Recently my Uncle, aged 61, died. He had the sort of bravado that the Seven had -- the same mindset that so many men have. 'Cool' is so much more desirable a trait with them than 'sensibility.' Too often, this cool leads to an unnecessarily early grave.

Brooks' piece speaks to the classic standard of clever. When she published The Bean Eaters, vulgar terms were either not used in publications or were heavily censored. She and other artists of that era relied on their creativity rather than base language to express ideas, moods, life. In twenty-four syllables, Brooks captures a manner of life. Nothing is contrived, nothing is too wordy -- the piece is perfect. Brief, like the lives of the Seven and too many others.

In memory of TER, 1947-2008

Further Reading/Viewing

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15433
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poet.html?id=843