For the Sonorous
Little Girl Blue
Little girl Blue
never blew her horn
a trumpet that came all the way
from south Texas
found its way to little girl blue
in 6th grade (when she stood hardly five-foot-two)
the grade they introduce musical instruments
into the lives of youths
form bands all across Oklahoma lands
Little girl blue wanted to play the clarinet
it was a cute instrument black
slender with polished keys
like all her friends
Grandma stuck her with the horn
worn brass she could barely grasp
‘cause it was already in the family
wouldn’t cost to buy or rent
she settled for what was sent
where is the girl with the song so soulful
Little girl blue figured she’d play some blues
after she learned the scales of course
put her lips to brass and that little girl
blew and blew and blew
‘til her cheeks couldn’t take no more
waited for a note to escape the bell
the trumpet didn’t yell
so her eyes fell,
she looked to the band director searching
searching for an answer
why couldn’t little girl blue blow the blues?
Mr. Band Director looked her square in the eyes
diagnosed the problem as too big lips
Little girl blue never blew that horn again
had it sent back down south
Little girl blue fast asleep
will they wake her, will she get woke
you see she hadn’t yet heard of
Louie Dizzy Tiny Valaida
didn’t know there is no blame
no shame in luscious large lips
Little girl blue never blew no horn
Girl Scouts of America Gets a Colored Troop, 1917
What they gonna teach me
that ain’t already in my blood
My ancestors drank from the gourd
followed that star straight to freedom
In my blood I already know which berries
fill bellies and which berries are better
left alone mama taught me
her mama taught her all the mamas
right down that plantation line
they gonna teach me courage confidence
and character but visions of granddaddy’s
lashed back taught that long ago
We separate but equal in our
pleated skirts and tied neckerchiefs
We good enough to camp and scout
in our very own troop now but we can’t
sing or march or camp
with the little white girls—their confidence
their courage their character must
stay pure of this colored skin.
How they goin’ teach me to sing
when I’ve heard spirituals so
heavenly God still wonders why
us black beauties haven’t reach equality.
Mary Gray was born and raised in Lawton, OK and received her Bachelor of Arts in both Journalism and English Writing, as well her Master of Public Administration (MPA), from the University of Oklahoma. Currently she is a student in the Red Earth MFA program at Oklahoma City University. Her work has been published in Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me: New Oklahoma Writing, Territory Magazine and Short Order Poems.
