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Callaloo 24.3 (2001) 936-937



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from Vol. 20, No. 2 (Spring 1997)

Hollywood Africans
1983

Kevin Young


Basquiat paints

the town. PAW.
BWANA. SEVEN
STARS. Night

life--star-struck
Basquiat's arrived,
brought Toxic
& Rammellzee along
for the ride. Our trio
stomping new
ground--shaky,
kept. Hills,
that is--black
gold, Texas tea--
out west
Basquiat burns
his canvas ochre,
this trinity thin
as their ties. Hip
hop hippity hop--
Sunset Blvd
Walk of the Stars,
streets stretched
like limos. B
at last in the black, [End Page 936]
dines out at Mr. Chow's.
IDI AMIN. 200 YEN.
Put it on his tab--
trading meals
for canvases free
loaded with msgs,
HERO-ISM.
TOBACCO in purple,
palimpsest. Toxic
& RMLZ cool, eyes
shaded by goggles,
hats with Zs. Snores
ville. GANGSTERISM.
SELF-PORTRAIT
AS A HEEL #3. Hail,
hail, the gang's all
heels--no winners
or winters, just
wanderlust
amongst Oscars®
& MOVIE STAR
FOOTPRINTS
like an astronaut's.
Rock rock planet rock
don't stop--POP
CORN--SUGAR
CANE. Academy
Mammy Award
& another for Butler,
Rhett--To the moon
Jemima--PAW--
basquiat rockets
NEW!--hands pressed
fresh into pavement,
permanent as a rap
sheet, booked.



© 1997 by Kevin Young.

Kevin Young is Ruth Lilly Professor of Poetry at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is the author of To Repel Ghosts (2001) and Most Way Home (1995), selected by Lucille Clifton as part of the National Poetry Series and winner of the John C. Zacharis First Book Prize from Ploughshares.

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