This is all I have tonight folks...
No Kinda Sense
She be like
conflicting through my mind
People have
their own language
English
Diction
Immense
shame about her language
African-American
child
Ebonics in
the middle
Exposed
Emotional abyss
My heart
sought questions
Collective
shame we internalized
Enough white
world
Shame
Tragedy
Incensed
Behind the
outrage
Our dirty
little secret
We are
Sho’ nuff
the problem
Think
Years and
years of too stupid
Speak English
Painful rejection
They tell me
to change
I realize we’re
enjoying ourselves
Embraced the
bad English
Yet I feel
beautiful and recognize the brilliance
Of Home
Jashonai, thank you for sharing your poem. You have used some powerful words and imagery from Delpit's piece to write your own words and imagery, repurposing in a meaningful, moving way. The last two lines stood out to me, especially because you make them so personal with "I" and "Home." I can sense your pride and see your beauty in those lines.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the trickle-down reading idea - you have inspired me to create my own poem!
This creates a great visual for me, and summarizes a large part of the feelings as I read through the piece. The way it is laid out on your page is just a work of art. The tangerine background is a great compliment.
ReplyDeleteSee ya tomorrow!
TOO COOL! You should send this to Lisa! I had a blast with the reading strategies, I cut out paper in shapes, but it never occurred to me that it was creating poetry! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis is crazy good! I am so impressed by your creativity, Jashonai! I love this so much!!! It amazingly sums up the moments in the essay! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteYour found poem traces the contours of the Delpit essay and re-composes it in such a touching and powerful way. I could hear the essay and you in these words.
ReplyDeleteLove how you moved from dialects and language to feelings and thoughts back to language. Very meaningful- I enjoyed it- it inspired me to pursue some poems of my own :[)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am so glad that I can inspire someone in the world! Robin inspired me and I am so glad that she did. She actually brought me to a place of memory and experience that I forgot from my childhood. This has been so great for me. I've grown in so many ways! Keep writing those poems, Mary Ellen!
DeleteI so loved hearing you read this at the Open Mic. Your voice is like a whole other newness to these words.
ReplyDelete