Call this a song, a poem. Just be sure to put love in front. You’ve been with me through all my different hairstyles I still remember when I made sure to wear mascara whenever we were together Then I stopped You didn’t notice the difference Thirteen years later and I’m so thankful that smile is … More Love, the verb
It was her face. Her eyes to be exact. Kind and honest is what they called them. Private moments spilled when they made contact with another’s. At the market, walking down the street, checking the mail. James said, “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then … More Unsolicited Stories
Young Black Girl To her father Young Black Girl: Is that how it’s supposed to look? Black Father: What? Young Black Girl: Our clothes. That’s why we use starch. So they can look like his. She points to a White man rigidly walking down Grand Ave., almost robotically, in his crisp white collared shirt.
Because if I fail, no one knows me here She said as she explained her urge to leave this soil filled with our ancestors The commodified ones It would probably hurt less too Her leaving Wherever she went would hurt less than here The moans under her feet would no longer sound familiar The branches … More If No One Knew Me
I’m uncomfortable in your bed I’m uncomfortable in your car And though I noticed when your eyes betrayed you They are mostly loyal And that uncertainty Of when they will be kind to me Leaves me Quiet Seemingly composed Trying to be pretty
The Psychology of a Black Woman Similar to a Blackbird except there doesn’t seem to be a term for me anymore Like this world’s denial of my history and its insistence on progression has filled all the space Including the small corner where I once sought comfort It was familiar At least there they knew … More The Psychology of a Black Woman
Dear Reader, Black women, you were my motivation to begin writing this letter. You were my inspiration to complete it after many attempts to find the words to convey the depth of my love and concern for our communities. I have struggled to write this for over a year after completing my dissertation, which is … More A Letter to the Women I Love
