Explore "Brass Spitoons" by Langston Hughes on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Clean the spitoons, boy.
Detroit, / Chicago, / Atlantic City, / Palm Beach.
Clean the spitoons.
The steam in hotel kitchens, / And the smoke in hotel lobbies, / And the slime in hotel spitoons:
Part of my life.
Hey, boy!
A nickel, / A dime, / A dollar, / Two dollars a day.
Hey, boy!
A nickel, / A dime, / A dollar, / Two dollars / Buys shoes for the baby.
House rent to pay.
Gin on Saturday, / Church on Sunday.
My God!
Babies and girl and church / and women and Sunday / all mixed up with dimes and / dollars and clean spitoons / and house rent to pay.
Hey, boy!
A bright bowl of brass is beautiful to the Lord.
Bright polished brass like the cymbals / Of King David's dancers, / Like the wine cups of Solomon.
Hey, boy!
A clean spitoon on the altar of the Lord.
A clean bright spitoon all newly polished --
At least I can offer that.