I could not help but think of my mother, Evelyn Claracy Harris, when we took a side trip to visit the Paul Lawrence Dunbar House in Dayton. When I was little my mother would recite, no, she would croon poetry to us as we did chores or played games. The way my mother would recite all kinds of long memorized poems as background to our daily lives was like listening to lovely songs. Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s dialect, love, humorous and political poems were all powerful. He was a genius whose work you can find in your library. Perhaps you have already memorized some of his poems. My memory is not as good as my mother’s was but whenever I read or hear a Paul Lawrence Dunbar poem I hear my mother’s voice clear and soft.

Dunbar’s home has been beautifully restored and has authentic Dunbar furniture and memorabilia. My mother would have loved seeing all of this. You can visit when you are in Dayton. And be sure to explore the Paul Lawrence Dunbar House web site as well as his books in your home town library.