The Knees of a Natural Man: Collected Poetry [Paperback]

Henry Dumas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This substantial volume of poems is a cultural revelation that unfolds a history: "I was a mist in the caverns/ of your mind/ I was without shape, without sound,/ without color, without depth,/ without voice,/and then I heard distant voices/ moaning in the night,/ and I felt my people calling me." Here the singing language as well as the motifs clearly bring to mind thepoetry of Gwendolyn Brooks. How well Dumas's mystic quality reels in the mind, how highly controlled his lines: "With a line of blood,/ a thread of weeping and moaning,/ a strain of song." This book belongs in every serious literature collection.
- Lenard D. Moore, Writer-in-Residence, Wake Cty. Arts Council,
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Afro-american
America
Asali
Ascension
Balance
Beyond Selves
Black Star Line
Black Trumpeter
Brown Sound
The Buster
The Cardinal
Coat Of Many Fibers
The Coming Of The Eagles
Concentration Camp Blues
Decision, Says The Source
Don't Be Too Sure
Early Bird Blues
East Saint Hell (up From The Ghetto)
Emoyeni, Place Of The Winds
Employment Blues
Epiphany
Fingers
Fir
Fish
From Jackhammer (1.)
Full Moon
Funk
Ghosts
Grandma's Got A Wig
Greatness
Green Hill Golden Mountain
Harlem Gulp (1.)
Harlem Gulp (2.)
Hunt
I Laugh Talk Joke
I Saw The Sky
If I Were Earth
If You Behave
Ikef
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 10)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 11)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 13)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 16: Guts)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 18: Breathe With Me)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 20: Soil)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 21: A Long Time Coming)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 4)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 5: Children Playing)
Ikefs (ikons Of Kef Ikef 9: Black Widow)
Image (1.)
Image (2.)
Image (3.)
Image (4.)
Image (5.)
Image (6.)
Image (7.)
Island Within Island
Keep The Faith Blues
Kef 35
Kef: First Series (kef 106)
Kef: First Series (kef 107)
Kef: First Series (kef 124)
Kef: First Series (kef 13)
Kef: First Series (kef 141)
Kef: First Series (kef 27)
Kef: First Series (kef 3)
Kef: First Series (kef 4)
Kef: First Series (kef 54)
Kef: First Series (kef 73)
Kef: First Series (kef 86)
Kef: First Series (kef 9)
Kef: Second Series (kef 12)
Kef: Second Series (kef 16)
Kef: Second Series (kef 2)
Kef: Second Series (kef 22)
Kef: Second Series (kef 24)
Kef: Second Series (kef 25)
Kef: Second Series (kef 30)
Kef: Second Series (kef 31)
Kef: Second Series (kef 32)
Kef: Second Series (kef 33)
Kef: Second Series (kef 35)
Kef: Second Series (kef 39)
Kef: Second Series (kef 40)
Kef: Second Series (kef 43)
Kef: Second Series (kef 44)
Kef: Second Series (kef 45)
Kef: Second Series (kef 57)
Kef: Second Series (kef 6)
Knees Of A Natural Man
Knock On Wood
Lash - American Yankee Song
Listen To The Sound Of My Horn
Love Song
Love Song Of A Lamb
Low Down Dog Blues
Machines Can Do It Too (ibm Blues)
Mailman Blues
Mexico Through A Clear Window
Mississippi Song
Montage
Mosaic Harlem
My Little Boy
A New Proposal
Ngoma
Ode To Zambia
Out Of Work Blues
Outer Space Blues
Owed To Otis
Pane Of Vision
Peas
Play Ebony Play Ivory
The Playground Is My Home
The Puppets Have A New King
A Rainbow Around The Neck Of Night
The Respectful Thier
Rite
Root Song
Rose Jungle
Saba (1)
Saba (10)
Saba (11)
Saba (13)
Saba (2)
Saba (3)
Saba (4)
Saba (5)
Saba (6)
Saba (7)
Saba (8)
Saba (9)
Saba In
Saba Of The Snow And The Sun
Saba Out
Saba Saba
Saba Tam Fiofori
Saba: Black Paladins
Saba: Joy
Saba: Shadow And Act
Saba: The Lost Diadem
Sanctuary
Shaba (1)
Shaba (2)
Somnus (1.)
Somnus (2.)
Somnus (3.)
Somnus (alternate Version 1.)
Somnus (alternate Version 2.)
Son Of Msippi
A Song Of Flesh
Songthesis
Standin Tall Blues
Sweet Wind Of Rose
Take This River!
The Temple At Ilhadan
Thought (1.)
Thought (2.)
Thought (3.)
Thought (4.)
Thought (5.)
Thought (6.)
Thought (7.)
Tis Of Thee (1.)
Tis Of Thee (2.)
Tis Of Thee (3.)
Tis Of Thee (4.)
To Meet The Lord...
Too Hot To Handle Blues
Uncle Sam Uptight Blues
Valentines
Yams
The Zebra Goes Wild Where The Sidewalk Ends (1.)
The Zebra Goes Wild Where The Sidewalk Ends (2.)
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Product Details

• Paperback: 130 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (July 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938410741
• ISBN-13: 978-0938410744
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,485,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Prolific Melodic Treasure..., December 11, 2009

By 

R. Samuels - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knees of a Natural Man: Poetry (Hardcover)

Since my 1990's intro to this poet/storyteller's words my personal commitment has been to introduced him to as many of my friends as possible . He is described in "Knees of a Natural Man" as a "Distance Runner, Stabilizer, Distiller" which speaks volumes to the thoughts, images and feelings evoked when reading his works. Throughout the book images leap from the pages and tickle your fancy; make you laugh out loud; smile warmly from within or just reflect on the possibilities. His emotions give new life to the obscurities of black culture but done with such a unique worldly view... truly its was as if he were a runner in the race called life and forced to share his views with a sometime breathless poignancy of someone continually adapting to his ever evolving surroundings. Intriguing will be the way you thumb, stroll or flow through each page curiously waiting for the next path he artfully lays for you his readers.

I recommend you take the run with him, the experience will leave you much richer than you have been in a while!!