Now, I'm a -gigantic- fan of June Jordan and thanks to kind folk in my life i've just about every book there is out there with her name on it. I haven't even read them all yet...not cover to cover. So i'm hunkered down listing to the hard rain on my tin roof sifting through a book of her love poems....this one really spoke to me...esp. since its considered a love poem.
enjoy.
Why i became a pacifist
and then
How i became a warrior again:
Because nothing i could do or say
turned out okay
i figured i should just sit
still and chill
except to maybe mumble
‘Baby,Baby:
Stop!’
AND
because turning that other cheek
holding my tongue
refusing to retaliate when the deal
got ugly
And because not throwing whoever calls me bitch
out the goddamn window
And because swallowing my pride
saying i’m sorry when whoever don’t like
one single thing
about me and don’t never take a break from
counting up the 65,899 ways i talk wrong
i act wrong
And because sitting on my fist
neglecting to enumerate every incoherent
rigid/raggedy-ass/disrespectful/killer cold
and self infatuated crime against love
committed by some loud mouth don’t know
nothing about it takes 2 to fuck
and 2 to fuck things up
And because making apologies that nobody give a shit about
and because failing to sing my song
finally
finally
got on my absolute last nerve
I pick up my sword
I lift up my shield
And i stay ready for war
Because now i live ready for a whole lot more
than that
June Jordan (1936-2002)
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1 comment:
Right on.
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