THE BLACK CONNECTION

for Shafiq & Bilal

we be the ones you
weighted the night with prayers for
the ones with memory
past.present.future. coded
in the groove of a bass line

for James

scratch yo’ self into
the grooves left in yo’ momma’s
record collection

all hip-hop ever needed:
a james brown loop & a mic

for Lee

lawd if we could just
remember our black magic
we would leave this place
gather our unwanted selves
grow our wings and fly back home

for “Pop Pop” Levy C. Nealy & August

the men are talkin’
in dizzy whisky circles
of wars and women
of tree branches and loosened knots
here, you are Levy again

for Roberta & Donny

1
BLACK is…
shemika and the
gold plated/leopard printed
sheer/skin tight/thigh high
saturday night/sunday mornin’
“gonna get a deacon” dress

2
BLACK is…
brothas named willie,
tyrone, cleophous, junebug,
malik & khalid
darnell, daryll, and bigger
last names: williams.johnson.smith.

3
BLACK is…
grandma's devotion
to our sweet lord and savior
sat on the mantel
watched grandpa’s liquor cabinet
from other side of the room

for Betty

between brass and steel
she dishes down home advice:
If you find a man…
my smile tightens/Ms. Carter
knows why he ain’t here with me

for Lea ( & Jeremy )

here i was thinkin’
we would grow old together
and laugh about all
the times you didn’t come home
and your other woman’s scent

for Willie Mae

gonna pray ‘bout it
after all of them Sundays
don’t believe my Lord
and Savior would let me love
such a hound dog of a man!