| Author | Message | ||
     Mahoganyanais Newbie Poster Username: Mahoganyanais Post Number: 4 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
DAUGHTER I will not speak to you about the harm men do I see in your steady gaze and headstrong ways (from the moment you drew breath) that you will never use a man for a mirror and no man will ever use you for any reason But if you do (and if he does), remember We are all fools Just don't be the same fool twice I will not speak of marrying black I will speak of marrying well (if I speak of it at all) You chafe at my ignorance Calling you black when you are so obviously brown -- Always define such things for yourself I will not speak of loving your body You must fall in love with it your own way I feel deeply in love As I carried you The life-giving curve and swell of me Ceased to be loathsome But I will speak of loving what you do Never be practical -- I already paid that debt for you You refuse to accept that today is today when yesterday, it was tomorrow -- you will not accept anyone's limits you will shatter glass ceilings I will not speak of the three generations before us They leave a strange inheritance: tolerating the blessing of longevity as if a curse Keep up your whirling, twirling fearless dance until your long, lean legs -- withered and having never known boundaries -- tap dance to your grave And if your legs fail, Sing to let the angels know you're coming But I will speak of our blood -- that potent potable for thirsty interlopers -- equal parts Atlantic salt and Georgia clay, bullwhip bitters with a twist of freedom, and Reconstruction nightmares until Jim ate Crow -- shaken and stirred, a legacy of insane hope Be sure to swallow it whole There is no place, no time for blame for shame except this: Daughter, I have tainted this blood Me Not plantation boogie men, white-collar con men, or dread-locked pseudo-righteous men Me A recessive trait so slippery disguising itself as love Hear me when I tell you its true nature: a predisposition to slow-drag with obsession to go belly-to-belly with infatuation to mistake recklessness for adventure to take a treasure for granted and call it art -- On second thought, ignoring my mother worked wonders for me -- perhaps I will not speak at all. | ||
| Sisg "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Sisg Post Number: 163 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Mahoganyanais i enjoyed this! Ilook forward to reading more. | ||
| Moonsigns "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Moonsigns Post Number: 489 Registered: 07-2004 Rating: N/A |
Mahoganyanais, Very beautiful and profound piece--nice work! -Moonsigns | ||
| Mahoganyanais Newbie Poster Username: Mahoganyanais Post Number: 9 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Thank you, Sisg and Moonsigns! | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 1933 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
I love the cynical undertones of this "poem." | ||
| Mahoganyanais Newbie Poster Username: Mahoganyanais Post Number: 11 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Hi, Cynique... You know, you're the first person to make that particular observation (your name speaks volumes ;-). Thanks for the feedback! |
