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About this Book:
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Bending Toward the Light
Tribute to Mississippi artist M.B. Mayfield
1923 - 2005
A seed in dark fertile soil;
dormant — yet nourished by life giving oils;
breaks the shell sending tender shoots skyward,
bending toward the light.
A child of misfortune
born in the wrong time
of the wrong color
at the wrong place;
dormant — yet nourished by rich heritage;
struggle to survive
in a society steeped in prejudice
that place a heavy burden on broad shoulders
and a booted heel against his neck.
Talented without avenues of expression,
bound by a closed system
yet drawn by a kind soul
given opportunity
though a dark closet for a classroom,
shapes and colors,
dark and bright,
abstract and real,
dance across his vision
leaping from his palette
bleeding vivid hues across pristine canvases
barren and taut.
A seed in the dark fertile soil of Jim Crow,
dormant — yet nourished by a kind hand
breaking the shell sending tender shoots skyward,
bending toward the light.
Jim Booth
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