Fairy Tales

Once upon a time eyes rained
And heart clapped and soul thundered
Once upon a time I stormed.

Once upon a time deep vivid thick
And luscious green
Seemed
Pale gray
Once upon a time I was imprisoned.

Once upon a time
And again once upon a time(s)
The freedom train
came
for me
And I got on.
And returned.
Once upon a time I was institutionalized.

And, once upon a time--
And oh! how eyes rain
and stream down my cheeks
and strong hands wipe
some away and allow others to trickle
to the corners and descend into cloth covered down.
and oh! how eyes rain
and heart claps and soul thunders!
and I, perform continual rain dances as it showers!


and oh! how my eyes see
deep vivid thick and luscious green!

Once upon a time the freedom train came.
Once upon a time the freedom train came for me.

Children of the Cement: Image Poem

We are children of the dust,
of the dirt, of the cement,
finding- nutrients, supplements,
soul food
blak flowers
blak beauties
atleast that is how it used to be
growing from the same root
even if just a few-- we grew
and kept tight- bonded
strong hearts in the likeness of the Sun

at leat that is how it used to be

rather than our blak beauties
lying in the cement, whithered

sprouts seem to divide themselves
and the once Sunlike hearts turn hard
or perhaps forgotten? Our forgotton blak flowers.

but perhaps, we will again
grow from thick green leaves
undivided, in the essence of the Sun
with the essence of the Sun as

blak flowers-
black beauties.

Writing

he is the underlying, the after taste of my ink
but i will write
he out of me in the manner I wrote himin

my imaginary concept of what u between the lv--
the romanticized concept of what it was suppossed to be

I dont deny the u between the lv, but I question its
purity-
muddled, dirty, like a p.o.w

i was, so this is my
deep
deep
deep secret...

or new found or knew found knowledge or acceptance or realization
that the u between the lv can be a learned behavior

forced IMAgiNed.

because reality is in the mind---> my father often speaks philisophically to me.

"No one exist unless you allow them to exist."

so i write he o u t o f m e in the manner I wrotehim in.

hynaku

pine
needles. bark.
green stem grows-

rays
stream through
leaving stained trails

of
red orange-
orange-red kisses

fading
into yellow
green-green yellow

remnants
that eventually
soften, brittle, fall

whirling
floating rocking
into cool sharp

blades
which blanket
cool damp earth

which
the wind
rouses potent aroma

the
kind of
perfume signaling life.

Jesus Saves

My mother asked me (which she is always doin) where Ali was and I said
that “I ain’t my brothers keeper” which caused a tight jaw and a mean glare.
“Boy! If I didnt know any better, I would think that you just got that ol devil
in you for sho, talking to me like that!” I shrugged and frowned, “I don’t care”
I snapped back. Then, in an over dramatic sweep Ma slammed my room door
yelling, "You need to try to save your behind and pray to your only Savior-Jesus”.

“I don’t have nothing to say to you or anyone or to anybody’s good ol Jesus.
And anyway I aint been saved from a whipping yet and I pray hard! I said
to myself. I could hear my sis “Micah is bad” stating to Mama behind the door.
“Micha is bad” I mimicked to myself. I wish I could give her a deep squinting glare.
“ I’m on the phone” Ma said. Everytime I get in trouble she blabs without a care
of my privacy. I’ll show them baaad. I am going to be bad like the ol devil

they’ll see.” I began conspiring and then said aloud, “Hey you ugly ol devil!
I don’t know about this walk right talk right business. I don’t want to be Jesus
like. I say my prayers all the time and my backside still is soar, He don’t care!
Gets old prayin to be good when the end result is always bad and bruised” I said.
Then poof! Here enters a small white haired man with one watery lazy glared
eye. “Who are you?” I said as I popped off the bed and headed towards the door.

I am the Prince of Darkness! “Ha ha ha ha” I laughed falling aginst the door.
Ain’t nothing about you scary, no really who are you you cant be no devil!”
The old man wobbled towards me, poked at my chest, looked at me and glared
This is the 2004 I am gettin tired of living to sterotypes. You should see Jesus,
she's a real looker. “Get out man, I know for a fact that Jesus aint a girl” I said.
The little man looked at me with eyebrows raised, “you know huh? Anyway I care



about you, so that is why I am here. You called my name and being so care-
ing I got this contract for you- just sign here” He put a contract on the door
“and here”. “What’s this?” I asked. “Oh” said he, “just taking your soul” he said.
“Oops! I let the cat out of the bag huh?” "Yeah" I yelled, "your are a sneaky devil!
Let me see this contract…Subject to terms and conditions..deposit? Jesus!
what the heck? I am only ten, whats this stuff about * have to be 18, I glared

trying to read the fine print. The devil snatched it back pulled it close and glared
“Oh! Wrong contracts I have my own cell phone chain, sometimes I’m not care-
ful on what I am doing. Man, a waisted trip. Now I have to go upstairs ask Jesus
if I can tempt you again...and yadi yadi yadi. Its hard being a middle class devil
you know I’m just trying to earn enough for a few ac units.” I gave him a glare
then I laughed. “No biggie, I'll wait until I’m eighteen or something” I said.

I glared at the ceiling thinking about what happened. You have to take real care
when dealing with people. I then knocked on my Ma’s door and said that I acted
like a devil and I was sorry. I got no beaten that night! Hey Jesus! Thanks girl.