"Slim Hears "The Call

Slim Hears “The Call” Sterling A. Brown I Down at the barbershop Slim had the floor, “Ain’t never been so Far down before. “So ragged, I make a jaybird About to moult, Look like he got on gloves An’ a overcoat. “Got to walk backwards All de time Jes’ a-puttin’ on front Wid a bare behime. “Been down to skin and bones Gittin’ down to de gristle, So de call sounds louder Dan a factory whistle. “Big holes is the onlies’ Things in my pocket, So bein’ a bishop Is next on de docket. “Lawd, lawd, yas Lawd, I hears de call, An’ I’ll answer, good Lawd, Don’t fret none atall. “I heard it once An’ I hears it again Broadcast from the station W-I-N! [End Page 729] “Gonna be me a bishop That ain’t no lie, Get my cake down here, An’ my pie in the sky. II “Saw a buddy th’ other day, Used to know him well Best coon-can player This side of hell. “Had a voice as deep As a bellerin’ bull, Called hogs in a way Jes’ beautiful. “Ran across him down In Caroline Folks interduced him As a ‘great divine.’ “Had on a jimswinger Hangin’ low, An’ a collar put on Hindparts befo’. “At first I jes’ couldn’t Fix his face, Then I remembered him dealin’ In Shorty Joe’s place. “‘You got de advantage Of me, I fear—‘ Then all of a sudden ’My dear—Brother Greer!’ “He let out a roar An’ grabbed my hand: ‘Welcome, thou Pilgrim To our Pleasant Land!’ “Took me to a house Like de State Capitol: ‘Jes’ a shanty, not fit Fo’ you, at all [End Page 730] “‘Brother Greer, but if You’ll stay wid me I’ll try to make it up In hosspitality.’ “Called in his wife As purty as sin, An’ his secketary, twict As purty again. “When dey went out, he winked An’ said—‘Well, Slim?’ An’ he looked at me, An’ I looked at him. III “Little fatter an’ greasier Than when we had been Side pardners together In de ways of sin. “Ran a great big school, Was de president, ‘Brother Greer, jus’ see What de Lawd hath sent!’ “An’ he de kind of guy Was sich a fool Dey had to burn down de shack To get him out of school. “When de other pupils Was doin’ history He was spellin’ cat With a double p. “Couldn’t do no problems, But was pretty good At beatin’ out erasers An’ bringin’ in wood. “But he knew what side de bread You put de butter on, An’ he could figger all right For number one. [End Page 731] “So here he was de head man Of de whole heap— Wid dis solemn charge dat He had to keep: “A passel of Niggers From near an’ far Bringin’ in de sacred bucks Regular. “Stayed wid him a while, Watched him do his stuff, Wid a pint of good sense, An’ a bushel of bluff. “Begged fo’ his dyin’ school At de conference Took up nine thousand dollars An’ eighty cents. “An’ I swear, as sure As my name’s Slim Greer, He repohted to de school Sixteen dollars clear. “‘Expenses pretty high,’ He said with a frown. An’ de conference held In de very next town! “Ordered the convention To Los Angeles, ‘Ain’t no members out there,’ Said his enemies. “‘Dat’s jes’ de reason Why we gotta go, Gotta missionize de heathen On de Western Sho’. “‘Furrin parts is callin’,’ De Bishop says, ‘Besides, I got a cravin’ Fo’ oranges.’ [End Page 732] “Filled a Pullman wid de delegates He liked de best, An’ took a private plane Fo’ de Golden West. “Las’ words he said As he rose in de air: ‘Do lak me; take you’ troubles To de Lord in prayer. “‘Brother Greer, do that, An’ you will see, De Lawd’ll be wid you, Like he’s been wid me.’ IV “I remembers his words Now de North Wind blows Like de Memphis special Through my holy clothes. “Now dat thinkin’ of ham an’ eggs Makes me

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