Nikki Giovanni Poems

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All I Gotta Do

All I Gotta Doall i gotta do  is sit and wait  sit and wait  and it's gonna find  me  all i gotta do  is sit and wait  if i can learn how    what i need to do  is sit and wait  cause i'm a woman  sit and...Read more of this...

Choices

If i can't do
what i want to do
then my job is to not
do what i don't want
to do


It's not the same thing
but it's the best i can
do


If i can't have
what i want . . . then
my job is to want
what i've got
and be satisfied
that at least there
is something more to want


Since i can't go
where i need
to go . . ....Read more of this...

Ego Tripping

I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad

I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
the...Read more of this...

For Saundra

For Saundrai wanted to write  a poem  that rhymes  but revolution doesn't lend  itself to be-bopping    then my neighbor  who thinks i hate  asked – do you ever write  tree poems – i like trees  so i thought  i'll write a beautiful green tree poem  peeked from...Read more of this...

Habits

Habitsi haven't written a poem in so long  i may have forgotten how  unless writing a poem  is like riding a bike  or swimming upstream  or loving you  it may be a habit that once aquired  is never lost    but you say i'm foolish  of course you love me...Read more of this...

Knoxville Tennessee

 I always like summer
Best
you can eat fresh corn
From daddy's garden
And okra
And greens
And cabbage
And lots of
Barbeque
And buttermilk
And homemade ice-cream
At the church picnic
And listen to
Gospel music
Outside
At the church
Homecoming
And go to the mountains with
Your grandmother
And go barefooted
And be warm
All the time
Not only when you go to bed
And sleep...Read more of this...

Life Cycles

Life Cyclesshe realized  she wasn't one  of life's winners  when she wasn't sure  life to her was some dark  dirty secret that  like some unwanted child  too late for an abortion  was to be borne  alone    she had so many private habits  she would masturbate sometimes  she...Read more of this...

Love Is

Some people forget that love is
tucking you in and kissing you
"Good night"
no matter how young or old you are


Some people don't remember that
love is
listening and laughing and asking
questions
no matter what your age


Few recognize that love is
commitment, responsibility
no fun at all
unless


Love is
You and me ...Read more of this...

Sky Diving

Sky DivingI hang on the edge   of this universe   singing off-key   talking too loud   embracing myself   to cushion the fall    I shall tumble   into deep space   never in this form   or with this feeling   to return to earth     It is not tragic   ...Read more of this...

When I Die

When I Diewhen i die i hope no one who ever hurt me cries  and if they cry i hope their eyes fall out  and a million maggots that had made up their brains  crawl from the empty holes and devour the flesh  that covered the evil that passed itself off as a person  that...Read more of this...

Winter Poem

Winter Poemonce a snowflake fell  on my brow and i loved  it so much and i kissed  it and it was happy and called its cousins  and brothers and a web  of snow engulfed me then  i reached to love them all  and i squeezed them and they became  a spring rain...Read more of this...

You Came, Too

You Came, TooI came to the crowd seeking friends  I came to the crowd seeking love  I came to the crowd for understanding    I found you    I came to the crowd to weep  I came to the crowd to laugh    You dried my tears  You shared my...Read more of this...