A poem a day for 2015 - for day 97 - Climbing

This new day brings wait
brings anticipation for
steady calm and ease

A poem a day for 2015 - for day 96 - The sinking

Some days I can do
it. Some days I cannot and
today I cannot.

Really

Ask me if I feel like grading papers right now. Go ahead. Ask.

A poem a day for 2015 - for day 95 - Molasses

I am motionless.
Stuck as a cow middle of
road. I have no jump.

Surprise

I have zero desire to write a poem. I'm behind, again, on my poem a day project. Surprise surprise. I'll get caught up. This week I'll get caught up. This week. This week.

A poem a day for 2015 - day 94 - For Deja

Sitting with my niece the night before her birthday

We are laughing and watching Modern Family

We playfully argue about whose show this is

It's mine

Modern Family is my show

Tonight she can win though

She turns fourteen tomorrow

She can win

It's true what they say about time and how fast it goes by

She was just born yesterday

Yesterday

Today she is almost as tall as I

She is a dedicated basketball and soccer player

She usually gets straight a's on her report cards

And she's sweet

I'm gushing over my niece

And she deserves it

Did I tell you how beautiful she is

She is beautiful

And growing so fast

She combs her own hair

I remember when my sister would put ponytails all over her head with colorful barrettes

Now she wears braids down her back or a bun on top of her head

She will be fourteen years old tomorrow

April fifth. Fifth

When she was a little girl she couldn't say fifth so she said pif

April pif

Deja's birthday will always be April pif

Fourteen

Fourteen years old 

Birds

Trees

A poem a day for 2015 - day 93 - I am I am

I am a sunshine
I am a sunshine
Did you know
Way I fling these prayers to sky
For you
For me too
For all of us
I am a river
I am a river
Could you tell
Way water runs out my eyes
Down my cheeks
For your babies
For mine
All the babies are mine
Did you know
Is it obvious
All the children done sucked my breasts
All the young done come from my belly
I am a sister
I am a daughter
I am a mother
I am an aunt
I am a friend
I am a people
A people people
Did you know
Way I love you like I loved
Myself

I choose Uraeus

So, I got offered a TED Talk! Yep! Here's the catch, I would have to miss part of my son's graduation and guess what I'm NOT going to do? You guessed it. There may be other TED Talks but only one high school graduation for my son. Proud mommy!

A poem a day for 2015 - day 92 - This day

This day is a prayer
This day is awake eyes and moving feet
This day is a text from my mother
To join her at the gym
This is gym day
Apparently
This is computer lab day at Starbucks
Bus going by
Breeze on my face
Peppermint shower
This day is easy moments
This day is my mother and V Kali in the village
This is village day
This day is it takes a village
We talk about trees
And raccoons and thorn bushes and tree roots that destroy plumbing
This day is easy
Easy
This day is easy does not mean no challenge
Because he is still in hospital
She is still angry
They are still missing
They are still dead
We are still reminding other folks and ourselves that black lives matter
Black lives matter is still a hashtag
This day is self care
This is trust day as the African man asks me to watch his computer
As he goes into the restroom
He leaves his coffee and computer and bag and notes
This day he knows I am not a thief
I am not a thief
I am trustworthy
This day the painter is showing his work in the lobby
Black art
Black lives
Black coffee
Black folks
Black village
Black matters
This is Crenshaw day
This is breath day
This is inhale and exhale
This is pronounce all the black names correctly day at this Starbucks
This is free write day
This day is to release words
To plug in and plug out
This is love yourself day
Love yourselves day
This day I know you are out there
This day I know you are listening
This is love myself day
This is love day
This day is this
This this day

A poem a day for 2015 - day 91 - Like this moment

I appreciate moments precious as these
As dropping my niece off at school
Hearing her say I love you as she jumps out of the car
Hearing myself respond I love you too
Saying prayers for my son
Giving thanks for my friends and family
Tying my shoe
Eating my food
Locking my door
These are the moments
I take for granted
These are the moments I try not to take for granted

This breath
And then this

A month ago my son and niece and nephew could
Walk down Santa Fe and buy a burger and walk the dog
But a boy was killed over there
Too close to home
A black boy
A black boy was killed
A black boy was stabbed to death
Too close to home

I should have appreciated those moments then
Then
When they could walk down the street without stepping over
Blood
Blood
A black boy's blood

But there is now
There are moments now
Like I love yous
Like family
Like movies and memories
Like love
Like now
Now