LEIMERT PARK: THE SOUL OF LOS ANGELES
comfortable (inspired by the festivities as the 1st Annual Leimert Part Art & Music Festival 9/7/09)
i feel comfortable here
it almost is weird
feeling free to be myself,
not adjusting for fear
of unacceptance
or feeling the disgust of someone
else's distaste
to be in a setting where my blackness is embraced
i love wearing my cornrows or cropped curly hair,
and still feel gorgeous and makin' dudes stare
i love when black men bow down to me
and call me their sister
despite of not looking like the
girls in magazine pictures
I love seeing black women
carrying black children
black men by their side
and black people in business
articulate words uttered from the thickest lips
men of every race
clamoring for the sister with big hips
children are running
and the music is playing
watching my mama
bobbin' her head
in the air her hands swaying
seeing my people two steppin'
on the concrete floor
brothers embracing their brothers
some rich some poor
there's a strong sense of pride
and sense of relief
not over politics
just happy for peace
if only for a moment
that time has stood still
when we loved our skin color
like we wished others will
i love being amongst family from another race
who accept us as we are and appreciate our taste,
our creativity,
our vibrance,
our jazz,
our spunk,
our blues,
our hip hop,
our strength,
our funk,
when hearing soulful voices and the ringing of laughter
i feel more free than my hair with a relaxer
Copyright ©2009 Jasmine Powers
it almost is weird
feeling free to be myself,
not adjusting for fear
of unacceptance
or feeling the disgust of someone
else's distaste
to be in a setting where my blackness is embraced
i love wearing my cornrows or cropped curly hair,
and still feel gorgeous and makin' dudes stare
i love when black men bow down to me
and call me their sister
despite of not looking like the
girls in magazine pictures
I love seeing black women
carrying black children
black men by their side
and black people in business
articulate words uttered from the thickest lips
men of every race
clamoring for the sister with big hips
children are running
and the music is playing
watching my mama
bobbin' her head
in the air her hands swaying
seeing my people two steppin'
on the concrete floor
brothers embracing their brothers
some rich some poor
there's a strong sense of pride
and sense of relief
not over politics
just happy for peace
if only for a moment
that time has stood still
when we loved our skin color
like we wished others will
i love being amongst family from another race
who accept us as we are and appreciate our taste,
our creativity,
our vibrance,
our jazz,
our spunk,
our blues,
our hip hop,
our strength,
our funk,
when hearing soulful voices and the ringing of laughter
i feel more free than my hair with a relaxer
Copyright ©2009 Jasmine Powers
Add a Comment
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Comment by enhager on September 18, 2009 at 7:35am
- It is definitely a piece I want to see and hear as it is read by the author.
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Comment by Karimu Ali on September 17, 2009 at 4:58pm -
Hi Jasmine: As one of the producers of the 1st Annual Leimert Park Arts & Music Festival--I just have to say THANK YOU! I really really.....appreciate your poem. I'm going to share it with the other producers of the show. You make us very proud--it's such a strong poem. We are inviting you to come to the Kwanzaa Heritage Festival Dec. 26 & 27 in the same place and you will feel the same good feelings!
Peace Karimu We would love to invite you to do this poem at the Kwanzaa Heritage Festival on Dec. 26th or 27th. Just email me if u would like to at karimu87@yahoo.com
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Comment by Jasmine womanfrommycountry on September 8, 2009 at 1:12pm - Ha! I sure did omit the food. Awww, it was just too much good going on I could've gone on for much longer. Also, shout out to Carlos Spivey (I want all of the mosiacs!!!), Wendell Wiggins (for the most happy and colorful Eve I'v ever seen), Felicia the earring lady (for hooking me up as usual), and Phillips BBQ (for making me go home and get some ribs that we'd already made. Sho did smell good, mmm!)
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Comment by Ernie Mixon on September 8, 2009 at 10:24am - That was beautiful my sister.. those are the reasons I love why I LOVE LEIRMERT PARK!
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Comment by Hosea on September 8, 2009 at 10:03am - Thxs 4 taking me to the "1st Annual Leimrt Park Art & Music Festival". So vivid your depiction of "the Village". "Watching my mama-bobbin' her head" is picturesque. The poem conveyed a sense of beaking bread. Oh by the way, I read the poem twice. Are we on a diet? No one ate any food.
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