YOUNG AFRICAN KINGS

Keith Vaughan 1912-1977
Black Youth, c1960

Young African Kings
______________________

“loins of
African kings.”
—William Faulkner,
Absalom, Absalom

Shreve just smirked at me—
Just like Dalton Ames after
I went down on him.

Like why should Caddy—
Get all the goodlookin’ stuff
And fuck them silly?

She was such a slut—
Keepin’ all the hot young men
To herself back then.

It be our Bad Seed—
Just ask poor Ike McCaslin
The dirt’s always there.

The Ledgers don’t lie—
The terrible dinge incest
His own granddaughter!!!

Queer Buck & Billy—
Bad seed breeds down to the bone
Sophonsiba knows!!!

Everybody knows—
Just ask Percival Brownlee
Talk about Bad Seed!!!