Naomi Shihab Nye, with her Palestinian-American parentage, shows in Tender Spot: Selected poems (Bloodaxe, £8.95) her keen sense of borders and their crossing, the things that divide and join us. Robeson's passport was taken away, but singing under the Peace Arch in 1952 he nevertheless reached an audience of 30,000.
Cross that Line Paul Robeson stood
on the northern border
of the USA
and sang into Canada
where a vast audience
sat on folding chairs
waiting to hear him.
He sang into Canada.
His voice left the USA
when his body was
not allowed to cross
that line.
Remind us again,
brave friend.
What countries may we
sing into?
What lines should we all
be crossing?
What songs travel toward us
from far away
to deepen our days?
You can borrow Tender Spot from the Scottish Poetry Library – we also lend by post. Tel: 0131-557 2876, e-mail reception@spl.org.uk or visit
www.spl.org.uk
The full article contains 165 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
