Earle Brown | + Follow Poet |
Narrative | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

Amid Chaos

Your garden is filled with bunnies –
 I see them hopping around like this ….
Oh, I have been fighting those things for so long; 
my husband thinks that I’m crazy.
I’m kicking against the resistance, tired and all, 
but I take a rain check on giving up. 
 Somebody is going to pay the piper.
 I am colder now; 
I haven’t been hot … 
for so long.
 I’ll be there in no time – 
my father is waiting for me.
I’ve spent milk money
 to see Jack Robinson and Willie Mays
 make their statements with hard wood and leather.
It is colder over here. 
I was there when Luther first had that dream; 
 the FBI had to shut him up.
Since then, black people stop dreaming; 
they’re scared of being shot.
Look what they do to my bed of lettuce.
My God, not my pak choi.
You guys are rabbit stew. 
Those fools don’t know how to do it, do they?
 All I want to do is get my tail back to Cincinnati.
 I’ll have a damn good time,
 just like I said, 
I’ll have a damn good time. 
You have got to know it for a while to see the changes. 
I had a young man, who was helping me, 
I told him let’s get the hell outa here.
What I was doing was the right thing to do;
 I was ready to go. 
I can’t handle it now, 
but I could handle it yesterday. 
I’m justice’s daughter; 
I believe in free will.
I was the lady that was there.
 It makes me feel good to know I’ve seen all struggles, 
but my time has come.
Don’t let those precious moments pass you by.
 Enjoy your life honey.

Please Login to post a comment