The morning sun pokes through skeletons
reminding you
of another time
oh yes,
back in the day
the River was Crystal clear
and mighty fine
but
you left
left 2 move up but the move was lateral
skeletons not buried always follow
So many nights you wake up
in your magnificent house with vaulted ceilings
and cry 4 a little girl in pigtails being chased
by the Headless Horseman from Sleepy Hollow
Yes, there is something
you left behind
near that river so fine
a piece of yourself you'd love 2 reclaim
but, 2 reclaim your past
the good times won't last
because your oh, so perfect husband
cares less about the depth of your pain
So, you sit at work
listening 2 Ted the Jerk's racist rant
about those people UPTOWN
little does he know you vibe on Motown
and do the Boogaloo
when no one's around
Still, you had 2 give up dem ribs and fried chicken
2 eat mixed salads
at Tavern On The Green
tears come 2 your eyes
as your mentally reprise
you 'n yo homegirls singin'
Life Could Be a Dream
Hey, you had 2 give your homegirls up
your husband said
they weren't cut
from the fabric you now own
still, you sit up all night wondering
is my heart in this house?
or
Is Harlem its home?
Check him out
your husband, six foot five
cocoa tan with light green eyes
the envy of all the ladies at the private club
and yet, you're forced 2 repress
the feeling inside of your chest
when you reminisce on the nights
you and your old boyfriend Kareem
shared a dub
Oh girl, you laughed until your sides hurt
ate all of his Momma's food
hell, you ain't had that much fun since
but, as the wife of a husband
in the Black Social Register
hey, you go girl
you gotta represent
Driving home from work
you see a park and ease off the clutch
3 little black girls
are payin double-dutch
and the smallest one with the pigtails
reminds you of yourself
tears form in your eyes
when you suddenly realize
how many memories in time
you've been force 2 melt
yeah, those sublte reminders
from a mother-in-law
wearin blinders
make you think twice
you buy a painting at the Black Arts Festival
and your husband promply
takes it down
so, you creep into the basement
and admire it when no one's around
There you sit, lost in thought
alone with fractured dreams
and then, you hear a voice
YO, YO SISTA YOU LOST?!?
Oh my God, OH MY GOD
what a cost
you're hyperventilating, sweating, so damn afraid
will he rob me, rape me...OH GOD
your world is steadily shrinking
and then, you look into his downcast eyes
and realize
he knows what you're thinking
LOOK, I'M SORRY SISTA
U JUST DON'T LOOK LIKE U BELONG UP HERE
For some odd reason you feel
this brutha's being real
so, you stop cowering in fear
and dry your tears
HEY! OH S--T, I'VE SEEN YOU BEFORE!
HELLA YES, WAIT A MINUTE..I KNOW..I KNOW
SISTA, U WERE AT THE BLACK ARTS SHOW!
DAYUUUMMMM!!!
humph..no I am sorry
you do NOT know me
that show was invitation only
and I AM SURE YOU were NOT on the list!
Bro-ham starts 2 smile
he's been hiding somethin 4 a while
and now, he can't resist..
HA HA HA! I KNOW WHO U ARE
I PEEPED YOU FROM AFAR
BUT U WERE BUSY NEGOTIATING
I WASN'T GONNA TELL
BUT..WHAT THE HELL
I'M THE ARTIST OF
THE GHETTO GIRL BY THE RIVER PAINTING!!!
YEAH...
MY OLDER BROTHER....KAREEM
USTA RUN AND SCHEME
WIT THIS SISTA BACK IN THE DAY
HE SAID SHE ALWAYS TALKED BOUT THE RIVER
HOW WATER IS A LIFE GIVER
LEAST DAT'S THE S--T HE SAY
WELL SISTA..U BETTA GO ON HOME
UP HERE AIN'T NO PLACE 2 BE ALONE
BESIDES..THE RIVER IS ALL POLLUTED NOW
AIN'T NUTHIN BUT OLD CONDOMS AND S--TTY DIAPERS 2 SEE
WHAT? HELLA YES..I KNOW WHO U ARE!
JUST BY THE WAY U WAS WATCHIN DEM GIRLS
PLAY DOUBLE-DUTCH IN YOUR CAR
THE...TEARS IN UR EYES GAVE AWAY
UR IDENTITY
DAMN!...WHAT UP MISS REE-REE!!
YO 4 REAL, I CAN'T WAIT 2 TELL KAREEM
HOW GOOD U STILL LOOKIN!
ALL TRIMED AND TONED
LOOK MISS REE, I GOT SOMETHIN 2 SAY
BEFORE U GIT ON UR WAY
1ST, THANK YOU 4 BUYIN THE PAINTING
AND SECOND...BIG SISTER
WELCOME HOME!!!

All Poetry by D.Greaves/Darwin Greaves by D.Greaves-Darwin Greaves is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at dgreaves.posterous.com.
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.