Kin: Poems

Zawadi

Zawadi "Gifts" an inheritance/borrowed poem I have heard you are fussy keeping your daddy and momma on point your smaIl mouth already forming itself around the vowels of revolution. Your momma tells that you came out on someone else's terms. I imagined you thinking: "I'ma remember this shit and I'll be back:' I have seen your picture at two weeks old, brow already furrowed. Here are some names you should know: alicedorothyj.californiaishmaelamirilucillemargaretlangstonzora. Zawadi, when you were born girl-children, their baby-soft hair just budding, were propagating. When you were born we were killing ourselves. 63 When you were born I shouted and stomped and danced threw up my hands in a mighty "Hallelujah!" Girl, when you're old enough, I'll whisper you Toni Cade's Goldie Locks: "... a little white child broke into some folk's house -now what do we call people who break into other people's houses? And so now this little white burglar child went inside and messed up the folk's house. -now what do we call people who mess up other people's houses? And so now this little white burglar vandal child didn't stop there .. :' And, there are stories of your father I'll tell: the time he cussed out so and so; how many of us he gently pushed into the shifting of words; how revolution begins. Here are some names you should know: sonianikkihakintozakejimmyyusifgwenmayarichardralphtonitoni Zawadi, there is so much to say. For now: I wish you Kool-Aid summers. I wish you the O'Jays and HoolaHoops. I wish you cornrows and beads and Big Wheels. I wish you Black tomorrows and pray they fall on you gently, girl. 64 ...