<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div>Black Boys Play The Classics<div><br></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">The most popular "act" in</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">Penn Station</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">is the three black kids in ratty </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">sneakers & T-shirts playing</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">two violins and a cello—Brahms. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">White men in business suits</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">have already dug into their pockets </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">as they pass and they toss in </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">a dollar or two without stopping. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">Brown men in work-soiled khakis </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">stand with their mouths open, </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">arms crossed on their bellies </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">as if they themselves have always </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">wanted to attempt those bars. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">One white boy, three, sits</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">cross-legged in front of his</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">idols—in ecstasy—</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">their slick, dark faces,</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">their thin, wiry arms,</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">who must begin to look</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">like angels!</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">Why does this trembling</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">pull us?</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">A: <span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><i>Beneath the surface we are one.</i></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">B: <span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><i>Amazing! I did not think that they could speak this tongue.</i></span></div></div><div><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br></span></div><div><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>- Toi Derricotte</span></div></div></body></html>