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Postlude/Home Lyrics by Kamau Brathwaite

Humboldt Caribbean Lit

0

Brathwaite's reading of this poem can be heard on SoundCloud or by opening this annotation
Postlude/HomeWhere then is the nigger's
home?
In Paris Brixton Kingston
Rome?
Here?
Or in Heaven?
What crime
his dark
dividing
skin is hiding?
What guilt
now drives him
on?
Will exile never
end?
Will these spent
tears,
poor pauper's pence,
earn him a little
solace here
bought if not given?
When the relеase
from fear, bent
back
unhеaling his-
tory?
What final peace
consumes his
ancient fury?
So dreams
so embers,
ashes, smoke.
The memories
are cold:
the old
unflamed remains
of Tom we sometimes
joke
about.
What we
can't touch
will never
be enough
for us to shout
about, who live
with God-
less rock
the shock
of dis-
possession.
For we
who have cre-
ated nothing,
must exist
on nothing;
cannot see
the soil:
good
earth, God's
earth, with-
out that fixed
locked mem-
ory of love-
less toil,
strength des-
troyed, chained
to the sun
like a snail
its shell
and the hatred
it dragged
in its trail.
So late
in the evenin',
home fires
burnin',
lonely hearts
pinin',
the diner
is winin'
and his driver
is jacked
on the dark
blue tracks
of his flat
mistress' flesh;
we, winnin'
we dinner,
is pick
up we tools fuh the hit
an' run raid
an' you better
look our for
you wallet.
An' watchin' me brother
here sharpen 'e blade,
I is find meself
wonderin' if
Tawia Tutu Anokye or
Tom could'a ever
have live
such a life.
Credits
Kamau Brathwaite

Kamau Brathwaite

About “Postlude/Home” by Kamau Brathwaite

Read the complete lyrics to "Postlude/Home" by Kamau Brathwaite from the album "Humboldt Caribbean Lit". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Poetry, Spoken Word, Non-Music.

"Postlude/Home" is performed by Kamau Brathwaite. from the album "Humboldt Caribbean Lit" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Postlude/Home", explore more songs by Kamau Brathwaite using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Postlude/Home" is credited to Kamau Brathwaite. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Postlude/Home" appears on "Humboldt Caribbean Lit".

Visit the Kamau Brathwaite artist page at /artist/kamau-brathwaite for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.