It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,

And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,

In counting all our tears and sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, while

       We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

To thee from tortured souls arise.

We sing, but oh the clay is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

       We wear the mask!

With many things to do,

Important business of my own,

And other people's too,

[5]

When I ran against a Prejudice

That quite cut off the view.

My work was such as could not wait,

My path quite clearly showed,

My strength and time were limited,Q1

[10]

I carried quite a load;

And there that hulking Prejudice

Sat all across the road.

So I spoke to him politely,

For he was huge and high,

[15]

And begged that he would move a bit

And let me travel by.

He smiled, but as for moving! —

He didn't even try.

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

They were tortured.

Hanged.

Burned alive.

Dragged behind trucks.

And in several cases, their bodies were dismembered.

And the pieces either discarded or kept by many as souvenirs."