I knew a black playwright, cried in his beer
Trust me, Langston Hughes had nada to fear
My friend wrote ‘too white’
'King's English,' his plight
I advised him, “Take Ebonics, you hear?”
Categories:
ebonics, humor, language, race, writing,
Form: Limerick
Whatcha gonna do if’n Famous Jameis goes pro?
‘tain’t nottin ya can do ‘bout it, Coach Jimbo
Dontcha know, da freshman Heisman winner’s caught da eye
Even da Giants’ Eli ain’t a-rankin’ too high
Butcha ya got ta give it ta dem dadgum referees
Dey even find ways ta yeller-flag Drew Breeze
‘tain’t sayin’ Jameis is apt ta go jest yet
But if’n he gets lotsa bucks, he may jest be a Jet
Shure, New York might be colder’n a witch’s tit
But yer brass bra in January, Jameis can fit
Tajh Boyd ‘n’ Michael Vic should be grindin’ der teeth
Dey ain’t fallen outta da ugly tree yet (look beneath)
Now Aaron Rodgers is so granny-slappin’ good
Dis’n deserves ta stay; it’s jest understood
Jameis is hotter’n' a goat’s butt in a pepper patch
Jimbo, ya best find a way dem pro offers ta match!
*Written August 25, 2014 for Verlena's Ebonics contest. Jameis Winston is
the quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles and he won the Heisman as a
red-shirt Freshman. FSU's coach is Jimbo Fisher.
Categories:
ebonics, football,
Form: Rhyme
Ebony and Phonics
Talkin’ Jive, slippin’ inta the ethnic eccentricities
of survival, hip-hop, rap, the blues, Ebonics.
Ebonics, the melding of Ebony and Phonics
into a language that could be spoken
within hearing of the overseer. Genius
spoken here, clandestine communication
lines strung in plain view. News flashes,
who ran, who escaped, who was sent and
where, who was sold. Assumed “ignorance”
displaying pure brilliance before an unconscious
audience.
Ebonics, a language shaped by hardships and
prejudice, now reduced to phrases and a
chant-like mockery of its necessity and
protection.
Ebonics, a language that preserved a spirit,
nurtured a fierce independence, fed the
flames of rage and the hopes of love.
Ebonics, a tribute to a tenacious desire to
be free, not from the chains, but from
the bondage of the chains. Free to
communicate their deepest thoughts,
their hidden loves, their seething hates.
Ebonics, lost key to railroads underground,
doors no longer found, generations in
search of freedom’s sound.
John G. Lawless
8/16/2014
for Verlena S. Walker
Ebonics – Let’s do Some Slang contest
Categories:
ebonics, language, slavery, prejudice,
Form: Free verse
Ebonics, Lets Do Some Slang
I knows I'se yo' life a' chillin'
yo' bro's gamin' da ladies and spillin'
Dat blod on dez streets bout' town
sit yo' nappy azz rite on down!
Lak I'se yo' bes' frien' a skippin'
on da daz he be wacked out en' trippin'
Dat he'd jest tak' yo' last doller
spen' it on jest a gal and a holler!
In fac' sumtimes he sezs me awerkin'
laughs so damm hard he starts ahurtin'
He saz dat iz fer da ignorent doggs
yuz iz ez dead ez a rottin' logg!
I laugh at da way he be'n a-thinkin'
ff'ed up on da weed and da drinkin'!
07/27/2014
For Verlena's Ebonics Contest.
I like challenges....
Categories:
ebonics, change, creation, culture, fun,
Form: Rhyme
These the kinda words not used by folk in college. I hope I'm ebonically
correct, when I skool you in Street knowledge.
4gt the spelling just take your mind to the projects. Wea we can stand on the
block n chill.
Hear all the rumors from the party that night Wea JBoogie got killed. 4real.
My homie said he got grilled. That mean somebody was looking at him
funny. It's a jacked up world folks will rob you 4 ya money.
If you rob me we will have beef. N that is one thing you don't wanna see. So
in other words jus cool it. Cuz I can get ugly n I don't wanna prove it. Str8 up
Categories:
ebonics, cool, fun,
Form: Free verse
Peace
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
~ Attributed to Francis of Assisi
How many years
Of Sunday sermons taught me
How easily
I can get away with it all
How terribly unfortunate
Some Jew took the hit
How comfortable
My soul and how
Small
O God
Why not indulge me
Can’t I be so bloated
I’ll support the dropping of bombs
On third-world rejects
So I can afford to drive a vehicle
Big enough I can drag into it my
Weighty carcass
Can’t I be so busy so drunk so drugged
I’ll never have to know
About anything regrettable
Can’t I amass a fortune
Skim off a soup of hedge funds
Leave a world of debt
What money’s left in foreign accounts
Tax free
But hey there’s still sales tax
Isn’t there
Racial superiority
Can’t I speak in ebonics to prove
Ebony rules
Can’t I don white sheets to prove
White’s better
Can’t I evade the border patrol to prove
Medical help’s free
Who’ll they follow back
To Tijuana
To remorse
To the cross
To alt.sex.bondage
Not me
How many years
Of indifference taught me
The usefulness of
Looking aside
Giving up
Coolness
No worries
Peace
~Thanks Always Returns
Categories:
ebonics, corruption, peace, relationship, religion,
Form: Verse
A male
A Black male
A thug, a gangsta
pants sagging
stupid swagging
And that's exactly what people think I am:
stupid.
But I break the mold.
When people hear my voice
without seeing my face,
When people see my words
in letters, on screens
what race do they think I am?
But I break the mold.
Colloquialism
I don't use it.
My speech is cool
calm, pure, correct.
Just like me.
Do you know why?
Because, I break the mold.
Ebonics
Ebony and Phonics
Black English
Break away from that slave mentality.
"You talk like you white."
No, I speak English.
I break the mold.
Categories:
ebonics, black african american, inspirational,
Form: Free verse
As Adam’s gift emit into her statuary,
The echo in her spine, screamed and cracked because of the screw
Her Ebonics layer was smooth and soft
As her mouth thirst for a missile
As the as massacre descended into caressing
Caressing into the unknown
Tongues webbed and waxed in emotions
Emotions mixed with commotion
A departure from ocean’s commotion
As the couch shook as an earthquake
A lightning strike through her breasts
As Moses rod divided the red sea
As we both pass through the swelling sea
Tears oozed from her eyes
Smiling all the way, as the ride and the pipe intersecting
Slide show covers the dark
Then a knock knocked down the atmosphere
It was a friend
I stood from her sanctuary
Coming back to chase my illusion,
She was gone…
awoh awoh
Categories:
ebonics, love, romance,
Form: Classicism
Who gave this world the right to judge me?
Everywhere I look, all I see is the jury,
But I'm not getting a fair trial.
Before I've even left my house,
you've hung, drawn and quartered me.
If I wear this I'm 'ghetto',
If I wear that I'm 'uppity'
I speak Ebonics & I'm a 'thug',
I speak English and I'm a 'washout'.
My own people only hear my voice,
The others only see my skin.
When did they replace god?
Last time I prayed, he was still there.
If he isn't, someone, please let me know,
Put me out of my misery.
Why do we hate so much,
When this prejudice only destroys us.
If some people looked in the mirror,
They would realise they don't like what they see.
Who decides what I am,
How do you define me?
You don't,
I define myself.
I am not a colour, creed, nationality,
I am me.
When I look in the mirror, I like what I see,
If that isn't the case for you…
Well, don't take it out on me
By Mon
Categories:
ebonics, people, social, people, me,
Form: I do not know?