Poetry from a Queen
Mario Moore
As we here at the BMG continue our conversation about what is happening in America today, (you can check out in our Special posts section) things have slowed down. With the constant writing and endless videos of people being killed at the hands of police officers every other week, we needed to slow down. But as the art contributor I realize that Black people have been dealing with these issues in America since it's founding. African people of all nations have been dealing with oppression and takeover since historical Egypt.
Creativity and ingenuity get us through these tough times and they will power us through this oppression as they always have. We also have to realize that as far as statistics go, it may be getting worse but what really is taking place is that everyone has a camera readily available to show the horror of murder. I believe that poetry can allow us a different insight than visual art. So here is some poetry and sayings from the amazing director, screenwriter, playwright and photographer Danielle Eliska, who also happens to be my girlfriend:
westernized mainstream.
i cannot unbutton my blackness,
strip down to colorless—
nor do i wish it.
because
even if
my skin was transparent,
you’d
find something
wrong with
my hair,
my walk,
the curve of my hips,
the arch of my back,
my sturdy step—
(you claim i’m dis/torted.)
oh, you unhappy world.
so.i.am.content.letting.this.black.skin.illuminate.light.
Danielle Eliska, Discipline of Emotions: Deux, 2016 (raw shot from Female Protagonist series)
living truth.
you can’t just be woman.
you have to be
objectified
dehumanized
borrowed
bought
sold
uncovered
undressed
exposed
interrogated
manipulated
saturated (with imaginary cum)
tarnished
degraded
brigaded
(sacred places) auctioned
&
when you don’t respond in a favorable way—
you’re showered with “bitches” & “cunts”.
all within three blocks before arriving at the train station— just in the eye of rush hour.
& a side of you dies a little every time. (the softer side— the kind side, the side of hope & affection, mating.)
your daily epitaph will renounce you to “mean whore stupid bitch”, as if the day isn’t hard enough.
the clock just struck 9am.
DEL Thoughts.
I avoided stepping on a caterpillar today because I know the beautiful future it is destined to have.
If only we were that careful with one another
All poems and writings are by Danielle Eliska. I am thinking about doing more posts about poets and writers who are saying some dope stuff. What do you all think?
Peace,
Mario