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Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping” Lyrics by MsU

MsUIBPoetryIntro

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The old woman across the way
is whipping the boy again
and shouting to the neighborhood
her goodness and his wrongs.
Wildly he crashes through elephant ears,
pleads in dusty zinnias,
while she in spite of crippling fat
pursues and corners him.
She strikes and strikes the shrilly circling
boy till the stick breaks
in her hand. His tears are rainy weather
to woundlike memories:
My head gripped in bony vise
of knees, the writhing struggle
to wrench free, the blows, the fear
worse than blows that hateful
Words could bring, the face that I
no longer knew or loved . . .
Well, it is over now, it is over,
and the boy sobs in his room,
And the woman leans muttering against
a tree, exhausted, purged—
avenged in part for lifelong hidings
she has had to bear.
Credits
MsU

MsU

About “Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping”” by MsU

Read the complete lyrics to "Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping”" by MsU from the album "MsUIBPoetryIntro". 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 Non-Music, Literature.

"Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping”" is performed by MsU. from the album "MsUIBPoetryIntro" 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 "Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping”", explore more songs by MsU 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

"Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping”" is credited to MsU. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping”" appears on "MsUIBPoetryIntro".

Visit the MsU artist page at /artist/msu for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.