CLIFTON, LUCILLE, 1936-2010.
Lucille Clifton papers > Writings by Clifton > Poetry > Uncollected works

Subseries 2.2b
Uncollected works,circa 1950-2007
Boxes 21-23 and 85

Arrangement Note

Arranged in alphabetical order by title of the poem, or where there is not a title, by the first line.

Box Folder Content
21 1 "4/30/92 for rodney king," typescript, circa 1992
21 2 "4th of July poem," typescripts, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "5/23/67 R.I.P," typescript, [See early poems]
21 3 "6/27/85," typescript drafts
21 4 "9/11 morning," typescript drafts [variant title: "early morning 9/11/06"]
21 5 "9 ways of looking at a blackbird," typescript drafts
21 6 "12 ways of looking at a blackbird," typescript
21 7 "2000," typescript drafts
21 8 "adam," typescript
21 9 "advice on a birthday," typescript drafts, June 27, 1976
21 10 "affirmative action," typescript
21 11 "after," typescripts [circa 1997]
21 12 "after the children started bathing," typescript, August 16, 2007
21 13 "after garth fagan's dance workshop recital (to the poetry people. us.)," manuscript and typescript, July 1988 [variant title: "After Garth Workshop Recital Dancers"] 1988 [originally filed in Series 5: Teaching and Workshop Files, in folder "Brockport Writers Forum Summer Workshop"]
- - After the Fall," typescript draft [on same page as "The Old Availables Have" in early poems]
21 14 "after the flood," typescript
21 15 "alexandra's shadow," typescript, October 21, 2007
21 16 "All Praises," photocopied typescripts, [See also "the illumination of lucilleclifton"]
21 17 "always now if I have slept," typescript drafts
21 18 "always talking about it," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 19 "America, you're beautiful," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 20 "An American Story," typescript drafts [originally filed with Series 4: Teaching and Workshop files, in folder "Squaw Valley Poetry Workshop, 2008]
21 21 "Anatomy of Meetingcholia," typescript
21 22 "and you turned from me, manuscript
21 23 "Anniversary 5/10/74," typescript
21 24 "The Anthology," typescript drafts with corrections
21 25 "as for myself," typescript
21 26 "Astronomers Report Evidence of 'Dark Energy' Splitting the Universe," typescript drafts
21 27 "the baby," typescript
21 28 "Bees at the Lobe [compilation of single verses by Sonia Sanchez, LucilleClifton, Cherise Pollard, Monica A. Hand, Holly Bass, G.E. Patterson, Kate Rushin, Nancy Shakir, Kendra Hamilton, and Lenard D. Moore] June 20, 1998
21 29 "before the sheet is pulled up," typescript
21 30 "being a woman," photocopied typescript
21 31 "Being White," typescript draft
21 32 "Believing more in you than God," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 33 "Bill Robinson, typescript
21 34 "bird," typescript
21 35 "Bird R.I.P.," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 36 "birthday poem for sidney," typescript draft
- - "black men can," typescript draft [See early poems]
21 37 "blackgirl looking at blackbird," typescript
- - "Black Women," typescript [See early poems]
21 38 "Blessing in the Meadow," typescript draft [originally filed in Series 5: Subject and organization files with "California State University Arts Faculty Institute"]
21 39 "Blessing the Boats," typescript draft
21 40 "Blessing the Poets," typescript drafts and manuscript
85 3 "Blessings," typescript
21 41 "blues," typescript drafts [variant title: "blues suite"]
21 42 "blues," typescript, June 19, 2006
21 43 "bouquet," typescript
21 44 "breeding the mares," typescript
21 45 "Brown Girl's Song," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "Chan's Dream," typescript [See early poems]
21 46 "Chava in eden," typescript
21 47 "Children, beach walking," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 48 "children's song," typescript draft
21 49 "Christmas Poem," typescript, 1969
21 50 "church music," typescript
21 51 "Cinderella," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 52 "Columbia," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "The Coming of X," typescript [See early poems]
21 53 "Conversation Among the Ruins," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "Conversation Overheard in a Graveyard," typescript [See early poems]
21 54 "counting," typescript drafts
21 55 "Crucifixion," manuscripts, September 1955
- - "daddy," typescript [See early poems]
21 56 "daddy it is your story," manuscript
21 57 "daddy who keeps me humming for ten years," typescript draft, 1982
21 58 "The Dancing Queens," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 59 "dance," typescript drafts
21 60 "daogawa," typescript drafts, July 2005
- - "Dark Nursery Rhymes for a Dark Daughter," typescript draft May 26, 1966 [includes: "Flesh-colored bandage," "The White Knight," "Beware the terrible tricky three," and "ten feet tall"] [See early poems]
21 61 "daughters enter the room," typescript
21 62 "the dead are not lonely," typescript drafts
21 63 "dead men are following me," typescript drafts
21 64 "'the deadly virus of tribalism,'" typescript
- - "Dear," typescript [1] [See early poems]
- - "Dear," typescript [2] [See early poems]
- - "Dear Mama," typescript [See early poems]
21 65 "december 21st," typescript
21 66 "despair," typescript drafts
21 67 "The Difference Between Eddie and Rich," typescript draft
21 68 "dog cat bird," typescript
21 69 "the dream about giving you children," typescript
21 70 "eden," typescript
21 71 "elements," typescript
21 72 "enter death," typescript
21 73 "entering earth," typescript draft
21 74 "escalator," manuscript
21 75 "Even this touch is tentative, typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 76 "evening blues, typescript draft, undated and June 20, 2006 [variant title: "blues"]
- - "Everytime i talk about," typescript [See early poems]
21 77 "The Fancy Dancers," typescript
21 78 "Fat Woman," typescript drafts
21 79 "The fever in the bone," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 80 "Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee, Rumble Young Man, Rumble," photocopied typescripts [See also "the illumination of lucilleclifton"]
21 81 "flying," typescript
21 82 "for David," typescript draft
21 83 "for Margaret Poeter," typescript
21 84 "for our grandson," typescript drafts, October, 1982
- - "For Prissly," typescript [See early poems]
21 85 "for rica, at radiation," typescript drafts, January 1988
21 86 "for Stanley," typescript drafts, May-June 2006
21 87 "For the Fearing," typescript
- - "For these live babies," typescript [See early poems]
21 88 "For the Wives of the Saints," typescript
- - "For Trudy, Wade Legge's Sister," typescript draft [See early poems]
21 89 "Fragment," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
21 90 Fragments, typescripts
21 91 "from L.," typescript
21 92 "from the fox," typescript drafts
21 93 "fruits and vegetables (on the marriage of sid and al)," typescript drafts
21 94 "Gardens," typescript drafts, undated and June 20, 2006
21 95 "genius," typescript
- - "Go day," manuscript draft [See early poems]
21 96 " 'go tell it on the mountain'," typescript
21 97 "Good Dancing to a poet I know," photocopied typescripts [See also "the illumination of lucilleclifton"]
21 98 "the good jew," typescripts, undated and June 19, 2006 [variant title: "the good jew, for wayne again"]
21 99 "great grandmother lucy reads my poem about her," manuscript and typescript drafts, May 1991 [originally filed in Series 5: Subject and organization files with "Festival of Poets and Poetry, St. Mary's College, 1991"]
21 100 "grief," typescript
21 101 "the grown woman," manuscript and typescripts [variant titles: "she will be a grown woman," and "she is a grown woman"]
21 102 "haiku," typescript draft [originally filed with Series 4: Teaching and Workshop files, in folder "Squaw Valley Poetry Workshop, 2008]
21 103 "haiku," typescript draft, July 1998 [originally filed with Series 4: 103Teaching and Workshop Files, in folder "Poets and Writers Workshop"]
21 104 "haiku 6/27/06," typescript drafts, undated and December 2006-August 2008 [variant titles: "6/27/06 seventy," and "6/27/36"]
21 105 "haiku for hokies," typescript drafts
- - "Happy Birthday Dear Fingers, Happy Birthday Dear Eyes," typescript [See early poems]
- - "Harriet," typescript [See "Morning" typescript drafts]
21 106 "having been human," typescript
- - "Heaven," typescript draft [See early poems]
21 107 "here lies," typescript [originally filed with Series 4: Teaching and Workshop files, in folder "Squaw Valley Poetry Workshop, 2008]
21 108 "I. Hey Nikki," "II. What Nikki Knows, "III. To Margaret Walker," typescript draft, November 1973
- - "High Above Big D the Daring Young Man," typescript [See early poems]
21 109 "Hoka Hay," typescripts
21 110 "hoka hey," typescripts
22 1 "holder of the holy place," manuscript and typescript drafts
22 2 "a holy woman," typescript drafts
22 3 "hometown, 1993," typescript drafts [variant title: "hometown, august 1993"]
22 4 "how did i get to be," typescript drafts
22 5 "how great Thou art," typescript
22 6 "How to Pronounce Desire's Actual Name," typescript
22 7 "i am making a mirror of your life," typescript, 1979
22 8 "i am overcome," typescript draft
22 9 "i am so very easy to," typescript
22 10 "I cannot understand the things," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "I got to leave you babe," typescript draft [See early poems]
22 11 "I have seen the desert," typescript draft, June 27, 1976
22 12 "i keep leaving cities," typescript draft
22 13 "I know that wherever you are," manuscript
22 14 "i rise in the morning," typescript drafts with corrections, July 27, 1983
22 15 "i stand still among the forest of saguaro," typescript draft
22 16 "i take my glasses off," typescript draft
22 17 "I wasfatigued from twenty days of ricocheting between extremes of poverty and wealth," typescript drafts, 1983
22 18 "I would be made love to in a scarlet room," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 19 "I would like to see," typescript
22 20 "if (a song of eve)," typescript
22 21 "if i come out of this," typescript
22 22 "if i tell you that i am," typescript
- - "if she is not god," typescript [on same page as "Blessing the Poets"]
22 23 "if someone should ask you if there is anyone who really knows you," typescript drafts
22 24 the illumination of lucilleclifton," typescripts [includes: "Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee, Rumble Young Man, Rumble," "Good Dancing, to a poet I know, and "All Praises"]
22 25 "In 1777," typescript
22 26 "In celebration of my you," typescripts, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 27 "in defense of casual language," typescript drafts, August 1988 [originally filed in Series 5: Subject and organization files with "California State University Arts Faculty Institute"]
22 28 "in my own defense," typescript draft
22 29 "in the apothecary shop," typescript draft
22 30 "In the beginning," typescripts, undated and June 12, 2006
22 31 "in the day of the possible," typescript drafts
22 32 "in the shadows of the shadow," typescript draft
22 33 "Interpretations of Dreams," manuscript
22 34 "invitation," typescript
22 35 "is God," typescript draft
22 36 "It is raining," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 37 "It'll Be The Kids," typescript draft with corrections
22 38 "Jesus Speaks to Mary Magdaline," typescript
22 39 "Jew," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 40 "John Coltrane," typescript
22 41 "Jump Rope Rhymes," manuscripts [includes "Jumping Rope Rhyme," "Joycie," "Little Sally Walker," "Touch the Ground," "Oh Here Comes Jackie," "Thumbelina," "Dad," "one, two," "Miss Mack," "Going to Kentucky," "Oh you can't get to heaven," "Plainsies," "Oliver Twist," and "Gypsy, Gypsy"]
- - "The Jungle Book Things" typescript drafts [includes "alligator," hartebeest," "lion," "tiger," "wildebeest," and "monkey"] [See early poems]
22 42 "Lament for Ann Sexton," photocopied typescript
22 43 "Last night I dreamed," typescript
- - "the last Seminole is black," typescript draft [See early poems]
22 44 "The Last Time I Was Drunk," typescript
- - "let them say," typescript [See early poems]
22 45 "Let us go then, as our fathers did, softly and quick," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 46 "Let us sit here and talk awhile," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 47 "leukemia as lover," typescript drafts
22 48 "leukemia as race," manuscript and typescript drafts
- - "Light Verse," manuscript and typescript drafts [includes "Ode to the M.S.O.Y.P.," "All that doesn't glitter is not not gold," "Minority Report," "I Love You Honey, But," "Poem Shouted on coming up for the Third Time," "Apologia," and "A Couple of Thoughts on the Creative Process"] [See early poems]
22 49 "the long walk," manuscript and typescript drafts
22 50 "Lot 15, Lot 16," typescript, October 23, 1997
22 51 "lovemaking," typescript
22 52 "Love Poem," typescript [1]
- - "Love Poem," typescript [2] [See early poems]
22 53 "lue's blues," typescript
22 54 "Magdala," typescripts
22 55 "A Mailman I knew brought me an orange once," typescript
22 56 "Making," typescript
22 57 "Male," typescript
22 58 "memory," typescript
22 59 "a mighty woman," typescript
22 60 "Miles Davis," typescript drafts
- - "Miss Ann," typescript [See early poems]
- - "moonchild," typescript, 1990 [See Series 6: Personal papers, "Writer's Group"]
22 61 "morning," typescripts
- - "Mother Here is My Child," typescript [See early poems]
22 62 "My language rolled," typescript drafts, February 1988
22 63 "my friend is trying not to drown," typescript
- - "My Friend Mary Stone from Oxford Mississippi," typescript draft [See early poems]
- - "My mother teached me," typescript [See early poems]
22 64 "My people know about things," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 65 "My Sign is Cancer," typescript
- - "my sons," typescript [See early poems]
22 66 "New April," manuscript circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 67 "New Meals Recall Old Makers," typescript drafts with corrections
22 68 "new orleans," typescript drafts, undated and February, 2006
- - "night poem," typescript draft [See early poems]
22 69 "note from Memphis," typescript
22 70 "note from superman," typescript draft
22 71 "Notes on a New Order," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 72 "note to chan," typescript, July 24, 1991
22 73 "Not Like a Man," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 74 "November 1, 1975," typescript
22 75 "now memory," typescript drafts [variant title: "memory"]
22 76 "Oedipus," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 77 "oh i'm glad to be," typescript
22 78 "oh it is not hard to believe," typescript drafts
22 79 "Oh My Poor Brother, Where Art Thou," manuscript, June, 2003
22 80 "oh Stanley if I were to rune for you," typescript
22 81 "o.j. dreaming," typescript
- - "The Old Availables Have," typescript [See early poems]
22 82 "old folks," typescript
- - "Old Hundred," typescript, 1965 [See early poems]
22 83 "old muddy," typescript, June 20, 2006
22 84 "once I overheard a," typescript
22 85 "one day when we look into the mirror," typescript
22 86 "ones like us," typescript
22 87 "One Villiage," typescript
22 88 "The one who finds me food finds me," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "Only Too High is High Enough for Charlie Parker," typescript draft [See early poems]
22 89 "on the front street," typescript drafts
22 90 "On the Road," typescript
22 91 "Oscar is Wilde," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 92 "Other Oceans, Other Seas," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 93 "over the gateway door," manuscript
22 94 "pacific, first time," typescript
- - "The Park," typescript draft [See early poems]
22 95 "passion," typescript
22 96 "Peacock," typescript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
22 97 "Phyllis Wheatley Poetry Festival," typescript, November 1973 [for Margaret Walker Alexander] [originally filed in Series 5: Subject and organization files, in "Phyllis Wheatley Poetry Festival, Jackson State College"]
22 98 "The Photograph," photocopied typescript draft [also see early poems]
22 99 "Picnic SVCW," typescript
23 1 "pittsburgh. you in white," typescript
23 2 "The Place of Order in the Universe," typescript draft, circa 1950s to early 1960s
- - "plain as baby," typescript [See early poems]
- - "plain words," typescript [See early poems]
23 3 "Poem," manuscript [1 of 4]
23 4 "Poem," manuscript, circa 1959s to early 1960s [2 of 4]
23 5 "Poem," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s [3 of 4]
23 6 "Poem," typescript [4 of 4]
23 7 "Poem Overheard on the Bus," typescript drafts
23 8 "Poem To My Yellow Coat," typescript
23 9 "Poem with Rhyme," typescript drafts
- - "a poem written for many moynihans," typescript [See early poems]
23 10 "Poem Written on the Release of Gloria Prouty," typescript
- - "the poet is thirsty two," typescript [See early poems]
23 11 "Praise to Cheryl Williams," typescripts, undated and July 2005 [one copy was originally filed with Series 4: Teaching and Workshop files, in folder "Squaw Valley Poetry Workshop"]
23 12 "Predictions," typescript
- - "probably even Icarus plummetting from," typescript [See early poems]
23 13 "quartz lake, Alaska," typescript draft
23 14 "Questions," typescript, April 1999
- - "questions and answers," typescript, 1990 [See Series 6: Personal papers, "Writer's Group"]
23 15 "Quotations from Aunt Margaret Brown," typescript
23 16 "Reading the News," typescript draft
23 17 "The Reluctant Saint," typescript
23 18 "remembering you," typescript draft
23 19 "returning east," typescript
23 20 "ritual," manuscript and typescript drafts
23 21 "ritual for not hating white people," typescript draft, July, 2003
23 22 "the road led from delight," typescript
23 23 "rounding the curve near elliot city," manuscript and typescript
23 24 "sal," typescript draft
23 25 "sam jr.," typescript
- - "satchmo," typescript [See early poems]
23 26 "secret," typescript
23 27 "seeing," typescript, July 2005 [one copy was originally filed with Series 4: Teaching and Workshop Files, in folder "Squaw Valley Poetry Workshop"]
23 28 "The Seven Chairs," manuscript drafts
23 29 "sewing, for anne," typescript
23 30 "she leans out from the mirror," typescript, undated
23 31 "she, polishing," typescript
23 32 "signs," typescript, June 25, 2007
23 33 "'the silence of God is God'," typescript
23 34 "silver," typescripts
23 35 "single blessedness," typescript
23 36 "the sky is flush with carrion," typescript
23 37 "sometimes the despair when I read," typescript
23 38 "Song for a Witch Girl," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 39 Song in Answer to What Were You Doing in the Kitchen," typescript draft
23 40 "Song of the Holy Mother, manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s"
23 41 "Sonnet the First," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 42 "Sonnet the Second," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 43 "So this is the city of witnesses," typescript drafts
23 44 "spell for the unloving #1," typescript draft
23 45 "the spirit in the body," typescript
- - "Spring Though for Thelma," typescript [See early poems]
23 46 "still there is mercy, there is grace," typescript
23 47 "St. Mary's, late," typescript drafts
23 48 "summer," typescript, March 2, 1993
- - "Sunday Dinner," typescript [See early poems]
- - "sure as there is no else to go," typescript draft [See early poems]
23 49 "tahoe," typescript drafts
- - "take somebody like me," typescript draft [See early poems]
- - "Teacher," typescript [See early poems]
23 50 "temporary pain," manuscript, [first stanza by Clifton; others by possible members of poetry workshop]
- - "there," typescript, 1986 [See Series 1: Correspondence, letter from Marge Piercy, May 21, 1986]
23 51 "there are children being buried," typescript draft, circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 52 "there is a long poem about nothing," typescript draft
23 53 "there is a name I call at night," typescript, 1981
23 54 "there is a universe," typescript draft
23 55 "They come to Skelly's. Shag," manuscript circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 56 "this anger, this grief," typescript, August 6, 1987
23 57 "this is happening now mother," typescript draft, November, 1992
23 58 "this river," typescript
- - "Three Sisters," typescript draft [See early poems]
23 59 "Tilted," photocopied manuscript draft, undated
23 60 "tip on down," typescript drafts [variant title: "come on down this steps"]
23 61 "tituba: her first story," typescript
23 62 "To Adam at Appletime," typescript
- - "to black poets," typescript draft [See early poems]
23 63 "To E.D., A Reply," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
85 4 "To Lue at 10," typescript
- - "To Mama too late," typescript draft [See early poems]
23 64 "to Maria and Al 8/18/78," typescript
23 65 "to my uterus ('fibroid tumor big as a baby')," typescript
23 66 "to Robert Lowell," typescript
23 67 "To Thelma at Goodnight," photocopied typescript draft [also see early poems]
23 68 "the tollkeeper," typescript
23 69 "toward dreamland," typescript
23 70 "Trane, for Ravi," typescript
23 71 "the two headed blues," typescript
23 72 "two years," typescript
23 73 "typhoid mary," typescript
23 74 "untitled," typescript, undated
23 75 "Vegetarian," typescript
23 76 "Virgin Song," manuscript, circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 77 "Visiting Forest Lawn," typescript
23 78 "The voices who talk to my son," manuscript
23 79 "Walking in Woodlawn Cemetary," manuscript and typescript drafts
23 80 "watching the game," typescript
- - "water sign woman," typescript, 1990 [See Series 6: Personal papers, "Writer's Group"]
- - "The Way to Be," typescript [See early poems]
23 81 "The Way We Live Now," typescript
23 82 "we are born for a reason," typescript
23 83 "We Do Not Know Very Much About Lucille's Inner Life," typescript
23 84 "'we waken and count our daughters'," photocopied typescript draft
23 85 "we walk," typescript
23 86 "we women who love men," typescript draft
23 87 "what i fear," typescript
23 88 "what I feared could happen," manuscript
23 89 "what would they whisper," typescript
23 90 "Wherever you are," typescript draft
- - "Whispered to Me from the Cages Once While Visiting the Zoo," typescript draft [See early poems]
23 91 "The Whore," typescript drafts, circa 1950s to early 1960s
23 92 "why are you crying?," typescript
23 93 "why didn't i tell you," typescript drafts
23 94 "why do I fear," typescript
23 95 "why i continue talking with the dead," typescript drafts, 1982 [variant title: "talking with the dead"]
23 96 "why i don't color my hair anymore," typescript drafts
23 97 "Why I Will Never Be Called a Great Poet," typescript
23 98 "Why She Will Never Be A Great Poet," typescript
23 99 "winter hymn," typescript
23 100 "words tumble on," typescript draft
23 101 "writer's workshop," typescript
23 102 "yo, alabama," typescript, September 9, 2007
23 103 "you and the mountain," typescript, July 23, 1991
Early poems
23 104 Early poems
v1.11.0-dev