"When it was all over,And the lid shut on his head, and the last prayers been said, and six pallbearers
Carried him out for dead, And off down Lenox Avenue, That long black hearse done sped,
The street light, At his corner, Shined just like a tear--"

Picture from Microsoft Word Clipart Gallery

    *To me, this passage signifies the real end of this boy's life.  At his funeral, he was really still alive, because he was being prayed for, and he had people who cared about him who gave him flowers.  But when the prayers ended, the coffin closed, and he was taken to his grave, his life was over.  And when the street light was left, shining like a tear after the hearse left, everything seemed empty and the mourning finally realized that this boy was really gone forever.*

Back to Poem