Sunday, April 29, 2012

What's a Vagina?

The moment you realize you have taught her everything she needs to know about Reputation and Respect. How to sit up straight and how to tie her shoe laces. How to love herself and how to listen. How to speak up and how to dream. You have taught her...but not about what a vagina is.

You want to teach her how it is public. How it shapes, defines and positions her in the world. How it symbolizes power even in the numbing haze of patriarchy. How it is matriarchal. How it is a poem. How "cuss cuss" is a fake name.

 "Be careful you don't trip the wrong way and hurt your vagina."

 "What's a vagina?"

You point in silence. And all you can say is...

but she breaks the silence,

 "It's my Private part..."

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

New Woman

Two degrees, no father, dreams stifled for a sleep
She steps at dawn, cell phone ringing, fully booked,--
hooked on improvement.

'The modern woman'
cutting lines in the sidewalk
She hurries to get the kids
you slipping memory like rainbow, yet
She has no longing to leave you, following

She swaying
pocketbook against the wind, behind
moving to the clamour of the job market
Empress in nylons, She on her way
quickening to get that raise

Now you swallowing gin to understand
how She flexing, unrestrained, menacing,
needing, but shunning you
She ain’t your mother
She moving too fast

No fling for cajoling, pushing you
you talking son to carry-on name
She saying tight schedule, more manhood
less bitching
She demanding you pay attention.

PMSing aint the deal
It's the weight of her lungs
the heave for status that keep
her going, on the go, stomping tradition
She flying red in darkness, still

Ain’t no falling short--'xcept maybe on the sex.

Monday, June 8, 2009

But We Already Knew THAT

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

Black male endangered

"The black male is in a very particular place of endangerment not only by environmental factors, but the Black man's attitude, our ignorance, our savagery, are all lending to a plan, a conspiracy. The scientists say that when a species is endangered, the next stage is extinction. If the condition of the Black Male in particular is not checked and if God does not intervene, we will soon be extinct" ("The Final Call", April 7, 2009 issue, pg. 21).

Black middle class, crabs in a barrel

"Some of us look around at American society and we see some Blacks doing well, making what we think is progress and wealth and prestige, and we say, "We're moving on up now. Things aren't so bad. Why look at Oprah, Barack Obama, P. Diddy, Tiger Woods, Clarence Thomas. Look at Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. Aren't they clear signs of progress?" Much has been said about the growth of the Black middle class and how it appears we have finally turned the corner in our quest to attain the American dream. But is this real? .... In reality we have the illusion, the trappings of progress, but little else to show for our 452 years in bondage as slaves and now as free slaves in North America.

Now, if we look at the proverbial crabs in a barrel, the crabs are trying to get up, but another crab is pulling the crab down. But just suppose somebody is at the top of the barrel looking at the crabs, watching the drama of the crabs. And suppose he or she says, "come, let us deal wisely with those crabs. Let's take a few out of the barrel and put them at the top of the barrel and let them look back down on the other struggling crabs. If we do that it will give the other crabs the notion that they, too, can get out." But the crabs at the top of the barrel didn't get out because of his own talent and ability alone. The crab got out because the master took him out and allowed him out for the master's purpose!

Now, let's look at the wealthy and the famous among us. They have become a buffer between the angry Black masses and White people of power and influence that have us looking at our own rich as though they have betrayed us, when the wise demons behind them have used them as buffer to protect them from the anger of the poor White, the poor Black and the poor Brown. That is why you can never be an effective spokesperson for the hurt of your people because if you displease the crab barrel master, you are afraid that he might put you back in the barrel and not pluck you out again" ("The Final Call", April 7, 2009 issue, pg. 22).


My thoughts exactly; i could not have said it better. I am still waiting for those phone calls btw. You know, those calls, after the interviews.

Friday, May 15, 2009

D.I.C.K.

I spread my thighs
you enter, My Style
full-sized, full-eyed
slow breathing exercise
lips charred. We cool

High moon, we spoon
deep, slow, solid
hips arching toward desire
hands naming what's required

You stake out landscape, yes
easy, open, body places
call each entry. Faces
masked in salt and tears

It's a shame there are boundaries
checking reality
no further skills-,
balancing budget, doing dishes,
treating me like a lady

I A.M., a woman, with deep desire
deeper than my pussy
wider than the space between my breast
come, come, come inside
my unborn, "about to happen"

Bring your paycheck, bring flowers
a smile; caring eyes
bring good reason and common sense
Diploma in Intuition.
Bring desire to segregate mood
swings, and calls for belly rub

Monday, March 9, 2009

35 Things I am F**king Sick and Tired of, But Which Are Here to Stay

(1) Monotony

(2) Poverty

(3) Cellulite

(4) Pretentious people

(5) The devaluation of education

(6) Illiteracy

(7) Domestic abuse

(8) Weight loss commercials

(9) Polite racism

(10) Black peoples' historical inheritance of "doubleness"

(11) Winter

(12) "The Market"

(13) The increasing cost of living

(14) Hearing, "these are the last days"

(15) Unethical practices

(16) Long line-ups

(17) Underemployment

(18) Diseases

(19) Excuses

(20) Fear

(21) Explaining blackness

(22) Single motherhood

(23) Broken homes

(24) Hardened hearts

(25) Carrying the weight of black stereotyping and misrepresentation

(26) Irresponsibility

(27) Inadequate men

(28) Pain and suffering

(29) Discrimination

(30) The unending death and criminalization of YBM

(31) Barriers to success

(32) Pollution

(33) Stretch marks

(34) War

(35) Hunger

Gentle reminder to self, courtesy of an old friend:
"the world owes me nothing, it was here first"

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Chill pills, and a few other things, would set this country straight

Did someone say recession?



Happy Pills by Son of Groucho


Warmth, equal opportunity for all and chill pills every other month would put us right back on track. Anti-discrimination practices served with a smile could also do the trick. Maybe good drinking water, that means lead-free, and the elimination of all man-made products that cause cancer. Oh, i almost forgot, lottery winnings for the poor!; no, seriously, the elimination of poverty would give this recession a kick in the rear. But, then again, how do you declare everyone rich in a depression? We're screwed! Take a pill.