Letter From May Alice Jeffers

I'm an old woman typing

Old as the year, seventy-eight

Hear what I say

I was born in Laurel, Mississippi,

I live in North Carolina today

With my grandson James.

Now about the children

I had five children before the Great Depression

Five more since then.

All of them are living now

But the one that died in the war.

All the rest had children, too.

Don't blame the children

Every girl, every boy,

They ain't no burden,

They're my pride and joy.

I know they're beautiful

Like leaves on a tree

And as I am growing old

They shelter me.

I have worked at every kind of job

Nursed people, preached, and sang

When I was a young woman, I built roads

I have not worked a job

In nineteen years--my grandchildren

Take care of me.

Now listen to me

Babies don't cause poverty

'Cause poverty

Is just people never paid enough for what we done.

You hear them talk--barefoot and

Pregnant. But I been barefoot

Pregnant or not.

Don't blame the children

Every girl, every boy,

They ain't no burden,

They're my pride and joy.

I know they're beautiful

Like leaves on a tree

And as I am growing old

They shelter me.

I have worked at every kind of job

Nursed people, preached, and sang

When I was a young woman, I built roads

I have not worked a job

In nineteen years--my grandchildren

Take care of me.

Now listen to me

Babies don't cause poverty

'Cause poverty

Is just people never paid enough for what we done.

You hear them talk--barefoot and

Pregnant. But I been barefoot

Pregnant or not.

I have known socialists

They stayed in my home in 1964

For the vote drive

They were like my children

I don't care if they be black or white

God bless you and all the socialists

My first husband was a Methodist

We did not drink but we did dance

When we had our family picnic

I think the white folks thought the colored

Was taking over, there was so many,

And the young men still ask me to dance.

Don't blame the children

Every girl, every boy,

They ain't no burden,

They're my pride and joy.

I know they're beautiful

Like leaves on a tree

And as I am growing old

They shelter me.

I have worked at every kind of job

Nursed people, preached, and sang

When I was a young woman, I built roads

I have not worked a job

In nineteen years--my grandchildren

Take care of me.

Now listen to me

Babies don't cause poverty

'Cause poverty

Is just people never paid enough for what we done.

You hear them talk--barefoot and

Pregnant. But I been barefoot

Pregnant or not.