Works by Carolyn Yarnell '89

I Come Up the Hard Way

I come up the hard way. I worked in the fields
and didn’t get nothing. . . .
I come up the hard way. Not easy. Hard.
There’s a white man way up there in Orrville,
and us used to walk to pick his cotton.
Ten, twelve miles through there, half-a-day walk.
A hundred pounds of cotton—
Lord, I been working all my life in the field and
ain’t got nothing. I didn’t get nothing . . .
Me and my brother would be in field
us could name every bird what come by. . .I just
tried to survive.
I call it “the hard way,” but God still brought me
here, and I thank him. I thank him.
Oh yeah.
I say I hold the view of the world that it’s hard,
but it’s fair. Hard, but fair. Oh yeah.

Inspiration for this piece based on text derived from interview of Sue Willie Seltzer (1921–2010). Edited by Julia Bullock

this world ain’t My Home

I will see you later when I get myself back together.*

My mind, my soul, look back in wonder.
So that’s the way it is. That’s a song, kind of like a hymn:
      My soul looked back in wonder
      I ride over. I ride over.

This wasn’t nigh ever my home.
This land is borrowed we living on . . .
We done been living on borrowed land.

This world is not my own. It ain’t my home.
They say this world don’t stand.
Nobody don’t know how long it going to stand.
I believe the time’s at hand.

I will see you later when I get myself back together.

*title of a late drawing

Inspiration for this piece is based on text derived from interviews of and artwork titles by Nellie May Rowe (1900–1982). Edited by Julia Bullock

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