When You Meet A Member Of The Ku Klux Klan

 

Robert L. Poston (1921)

When you meet a member of the Ku Klux Klan,
Walk right up and hit him like a natural man;
Take no thought of babies he may have at home,
Sympathy’s defamed when used upon his dome.

Hit him in the mouth and push his face right in,
Knock him down a flight of steps and pick him up again.

Get your distance from him and then take a running start,
Hit him, brother, hit him, and please hit the scoundrel hard.

Pour some water on him, bring him back to life once more
Think of how he did your folks in the days of long ago;
Make a prayer to heaven for the strength to do the job,
Kick him in the stomach, he, a low, unworthy snob.

Call your wife and baby out to see you have some fun,
Sic your bulldog on him for to see the rascal run.

Head him off before he gets ten paces from your door,
Take a bat of sturdy oak and knock him down once more.

This time you may leave him where he wallows in the sand,
A spent and humble member of the Ku Klux Klan.

 

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This poem by Robert L. Poston is an excellent demonstration on the importance of a public domain system. Despite its obvious merits it and its author were obscure for decades. It wasn't until the book of poems it was published in had its copyright term expire that it became famous when the book was scanned. The poem first became notable as an image on tumblr and continued to be shared and circulated from there.