Natasha Trethewey

Believe the Hype!!!

Advice

                      Advice


with a poem for his wagon/give my doctor a poem for his heart/
i am a poet/ i am not a part-time poet/ i am not an amateur
poet/ i don't know what that person cd be/whoever that
is authorizing poetry as an avocation/is a fraud/
put your own feet on the ground/ writers dont have to plan
another existence forever to live schizophrenically/to
be jane doe and medea in one body/
i have had it/ i not goin to grow up to be something else
i am going to to grow up to be something else


Excerpt from Nappy Edges by
Ntozake Shange

Arthur Ridgewood, M.D. by Frank Marshall Davis

He debated whether
as a poet
to have dreams and beans
or as a physician
have a long car and caviar.                                                
Dividing his time between both
he died from a nervous breakdown
caused by worry
from rejection slips
and final notices from the Finance company.

Poet

This piece is sad and funny at the same time.

HIP HOP -short poem

Hip Hop
body rock
Get it! Get it!
Don't stop!
Graffiti, creating art.
Beat box, striped socks
mechanical and human flow.
The EMCEE and DJ.
Samples of soul, rhythmic, ghetto blues,
bridging generations,
ciphers from modern day scribes
from tribes of griots.
Fashioned dictating wild style
narrations for
children of color.
Hip hop!
Don't stop!
Get it! Get it!
Don't stop!!
Don't stop!!!
                                                         Kim G.

Irony of poetry written May 25th before losing my uncle

Poem for my three boyz

I praise you as you rise
and traverse through life's journey.
Your psyche is carefully held in my palms
delicate like a Monarch butterflies,
I want to see you soar.
I spew affirmations and acceptance
I call things only as I want them to be.
I speak to the god in you.
I call him forth when you forget he is present.
We banish belittlement here and create
pallets for you emotional restings.
You are my manchildren in this promised land
where promises are dangled on strings of
hope deferred.
I tell you you are super, young men
I tell you to fly and
every hug, kiss,  caress and affirmation
are  fabrics for your quilt.
I cover you.
You can do!
You can do!
You can do!
Do
                                                                                                 Kim G.