A day with the girls - again. My Facebook message today to Imani including Jennifer and Yuri

I wrote this poem many years ago about a day with the girls. While this conversation can be easily understood without the poem, I felt like including it.

Jungle Flowers

Jennifer was twistin' Imani's locks
Yuri was waitin' next
Me I was there for the laughs and White Zen
We watched The Color Purple and The Wiz

We wasn't wearing no bras or
no make up or no shit like that
You supposta chill on girl's night

We all did the dance to
Ease on down ease on down the road
(don't you carry nothing that might be a load)
We laughed and ate like no tomorrow
And we cried when Nettie had to
leave Mister's house
Even though we seen it a million times

We told our own stories of
mental and
sexual abuse

Course they one in the same
Even a sherm head know that the pussy aint good if
the mind aint straight

We cast spells that night
Good times always good when
they with yo girls

We the Jungle Flowers cause all us
usta stay in the Jungle
('cept Yuri but she Jungle by association)
I was the last to leave and Jennifer said I was gon be
there when the Jews came back

(Jennifer always got something to say but she
don't never know
what she talking bout
Haa-haaa!)

Hey Imani, I'm in Oakland with Yuri wishing you and Jennifer could be here so we could have a good ole fashion jungle flowers reunion while The Color Purple plays in the background and we talk about casting the todays version of The Wiz! Love and miss you!

JENNIFER: Don't make me cry. I soooo need some Jungle Flowers lovin' right now.
Cast
Dorothy = KeKe Palmer but they will probably cast Rihanna or Beyonce
Tin Man = (?) Ne-yo maybe Ludacris
Scarecrow = Savion Glover but they will probably cast Chris Br...own
Cowardly Lion = Anthony Anderson
Flying Monkey = Lil' Wayne
Ho's dancing in the opium den = Lil' kim and nicki minaj
Glinda the Good Witch = Jill Scott or E. Badu
Wicked Witch = Me or Tyler Perry as Madea
The Wiz = Terrence Howard

OK now let's do the casting for Sparkle...

YURI: I LOVE IT! And the "Can't you feel a brand new day" dancers would be the crumpin' kids from Rise!

JAHA: Haaaaaaaaa!!!! "Hos dancing in the opium den" "Wicked Witch= me or Madea" You are stuuuuuuupid!!!!!!
I agree with all of your cast ideas except they will probaly cast Dakota Fanning as Dorothy and put a nappy wig on her.

IMANI: Oooooohhhh!!!! Yes, yes, YES!!! Oh Jenny, don't cry...I'm sending hugs and BIG BIG LOVE to you NOW!!!

PERFECT RECASTING!!!!

Oh, poor 'Lil Wayne...but PERFECT! "Not the Flying Monkeys!!!"

JAHA: Do yall remember the Leimert Park recast?

IMANI: Wait...wait...tell me!

JAHA: Dang! I can always go back to that day, Imani when Jennifer was twistin' your locks at your house and Yuri was stretchin and flippin' around and I'm sure I was drinking somebodys concoction. Good times.

IMANI: Oh yes, I'm CERTAIN there was some libation happening. The Wiz followed Color Purple, right? Tears, testifying, then dancin! Oh, I miss those days.

JAHA: Did you get my inbox, Imani?

IMANI: YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

JENNIFER: That day is one of my favorite days of all time. Imani and I almost wasn't friends after that cause I wouldn't let her get up and get a cigarette. Toooooo funny.

IMANI: LOL!!! I forgot about the smokies!!!! LOLLLLLLLL!!!!!

JENNIFER: We had broiled salmon and salad and white zinfandel. We was fancy!

IMANI: We sho is some fancy black ladies!!!

JAHA: I don't even remember Imani smoking. The zin fogs my mind. Still.

*** I moved away to Atlanta, recently back in Los Angeles.
Jennifer moved to Virginia
Imani is in Los Angeles
Yuri moved to Oakland

I don't remember us being together again like that after that day. A few months ago Imani and I sat next to each other at Yuri's father's memorial service. We had a few laughs with Yuri, who was carrying too much of the weight of her father passing to remember much of anything we said. Or that we were there.

All of the moments matter. Friends matter. All these years later when I long for a group of sistas I know got my back, I remember that day. That day I didn't have a clue that that would be that day. None of us did. How could we?