I Like The Sound of My Voice



I like the sound of my voice- blue, blue black
factory bent, southern descendant- mama’s
hopes tied up in three little brown faces.
Hips swayin', dashki wearin’,70s’ sexy sangin’
Davis’ fro pickin’ & Panther dreams explodin’ .
It’s about the Revolution, baby & love & baby-makin’ .

This is me with my rhythm;
I write my own anthem.

I like the sound of my voice- click, click, heels
on stairs stepping into the blue lights in the basement.
Come on baby & slide, come on baby & slide.
It was Strawberry 23 the first time you kissed me;
Stevie was blaring ribbons in sky, ribbons in the sky,
ribbons in the skies of your love-
between my thighs.

This is me with my rhythm;
I write my own anthem.

I like the sound of my voice- sista in locs and Birkenstocks
in the blue lights at open mic. How I wish I were the cup
that touches your lips. Scented locs & anks & incense burnin’
Come on baby, I don’t have much just a little beans & wine.
Politics & Love Jones. More Jones. Wanna be the funk in your thigh.
Let’s celebrate Mandela’s release; revolution is won, baby.






Open link at dVerse. Join us.


*This is me with my rhythm; I write my own anthem. Written for an excerise. Some time ago my computer crashed and I lost a lot of poetry. Most of what I still have is because I posted the work online. An oldie because I'm feeling nostalgic.

Comments

  1. Oh, yes, this is pure joy! Great voice, so free. I especially liked "Davis’ fro pickin’ & Panther dreams explodin’ " HOTTTT!

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  2. Love the beat, refrain, the lyrics & mood of your words ~ Sentimental but sassy ~

    This read like a song to me ~

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  3. Sounds great spoken aloud, even if I'm not quite of the same voice as you :) ~ M

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  4. It reads like a song because I reference so many song titles and lyrics. Google some of the lines/refrains.

    This is the music and history I grew up with. :-)

    Thank you.

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  5. as i emailed you...wicked good and fun piece...find that mic and record this...want to hear it...

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  6. Fun stake here, La Tonya! Hilarious! We're given an onslaught of sista talk which is refreshing! Love the style, Great!

    Hank

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  7. The young women in my department nicknamed me Angela . My father did wear dashies and I have owned a few anks.

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  8. Hank, I was thinking the same thing. lol

    I'm comfortable with you all.

    Don't know if you read my first Confession Tuesday, but I share that I have a few women living inside my head, and lately, sistagirl is center stage. :-)

    Brian, I look for the mic. This one, I think I can pull off.

    If any are interested, the singer is Cassandra Wilson. She is amazing. Discovered her music in the late 80s. Pull up any of her music. You won't be disappointed.

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  9. Laurie, the video is jazzy, blues. She's done amazin renditions with Miles Davis work and obviously country tunes.

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  10. Your words really sing in the best sense!

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  11. Never lose that anthem, poet. You have something that's hard to find--authentic voice. I'm your newest fan.

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  12. i just love the rhythm in this...an excellent spoken word piece or even a song - wow...what a perfect groove

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  13. Fireblossom, for years, I tried to tame my voice, change it. I could write (have written) essays about the way I talk and the struggles to accept who I am. Thank you very much.

    Claudia, girl, you take me way back. Did open mic when Kelvin was in grade school. I was more comfortable with poetry readings (I know real spoken word artists) but every now in then, I'd take the mic.

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  14. I was totally absorbed by the rhythm of this piece. Fun!

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  15. A great song, and each stanza a different song or a different stage of a life.. really a great piece and I would love to hear you read it.

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  16. Bjorn, you know the music. If I find our Mic and we have the software, l record.

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  17. La Tonya, this is authentic, a most enjoyable read. I too, would love to hear it recorded.

    Pamela

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  18. the flow of this is dopeee! also loved the mentions of Stevie and Strawberry 23

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  19. A beautiful voice to this poem as well. It conveys a whole sense of place and time.

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  20. Lord, lord, I can feel it! Truly splendid work.

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  21. Mama, you're funny and you make me happy. Thank you all.

    FYI, I'm often typing for my Kindle. Lord the typos and missing words. lol

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  22. I have to admit you had me from the opening image before I even saw your poem--I'm such a Cassandra Wilson fan. Love the bit about "sista in locs and Birkenstocks in the blue lights at open mic"--I can picture the rest of the outfit perfectly. :) Thanks for sharing.

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  23. Hi Julie,

    How have I gone this long without knowing your blog? Oh, a must-read. Will be hanging there shortly.

    I'm a HUGE Wilson fan. Can you say girl crush? :-)

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