poem for Dave (work in progress)

the left knee of your jeans has a small tear in it
dropped from there to the ground
on several memorable occasions
a tear no larger than a penny

one solitary tear
spelled the same as tear
which sounds the same as tier
like on a higher level

and you’ve been there, my friend
for years in space, seeking a level most of us couldn’t attain
but you’d always remain grounded in your jeans and tees,
with us
singing the songs that make us remember,
strumming the strings that weave us together
red country, blues city, and your purple tee
poking holes in all our self-righteous ideologies

you sing justice
you build the space where sound echos
and draw strings to shake us

the world is out of tune
but you have a good ear, a strong hand, and a steady beat
to make us

connect on your loom, a tapestry
you shape us,
as family

on the porch with ripped jeans
we bloom
when you spill a little of your drink on us
warmth in every drop of your spirit

falling like tears
spelled the same as tears

but if there were holes for each drop
we’d be naked by now
swimming in salty regrets and sweet joys
like the emperor’s sad clothes
dissolving as hard truths rain on our wicked western fantasies
but we are of the land, brave and true
and Cathy and Dave, it’s thanks to you
we can smile and forever enjoy our times with a crew
like family

wearing each other’s clothes
holes and all
tears and tears
and if ever you should fall
know that we’re there with your left knee
playing the earth like a drum
that you’ve built carefully from
echos and accents
of vibrating spaces
with a love words cannot capture
like our smiling faces

11th hour slam friday the 13th

we ain’t scared. halloween and all soul’s day has already come and gone, so friday the 13th ain’t got nothing on us poets. we’re gonna duke it out on the 11th hour of the 13th day of the 11th month at the only poetry slam incorporated certified dc slam.

come support your friends this friday, nov. 13th at busboys and poets on 14th street, nw washington, dc. tickets are only $5 and they go on sale at 10pm (and sell out by 10:30 most nights so get there early). i will be performing new material, and will most likely have some friends of mine performing as well. guaranteed talent in the building. i’m just saying.

be there.

show tonight and tomorrow

i’m super excited to be performing with the life, rhythm, move project dance company tonight at dance place in northeast, dc. founder and artistic director aysha upchurch takes us on an exciting look into the future, and shows us, through dance and video and poetry what we could look like 200 years from now. it is titled retrofuturistic.

i am not dancing in the show, but performing a spoken word piece as an introduction to one of their hip-hop/modern dance pieces about the militarization of youth. the energy and exigence of this show is undeniable. come see for yourself.

“he’s scary”

that’s what she said!

no, not like that. it was a little girl trick-or-treating in mt. pleasant who came upon me in the following outfit and thought twice about reaching for my basket of candy.

twas a great time indeed. i should carve things more often.

i bloom you bloom

we bloom together when we find a way to shine through the winter

and Bloombars is all about helping our community shine in these cold times. not really a bar at all, this

cops and robbers

someone tried to rob me monday night. i was outside Sol y Soul’s office in downtown Chinatown around 7pm just chillin waiting for students to show up for our meeting. i was texting or doing something on my iPhone when this wannabe thief tries to grab it out of my hand and run. i hold on. he holds on. we struggle and he gets away with it and runs down the block. i chase him down the block yelling for people to grab him, but of course nobody

radio music is all about sex and money

i don’t even need to tell you
you’ve heard it all already
but what’s wrong with sexy money?
we all like it, right?
not really offending anyone, is it?
we all dream about it, no?
another world is possible.
a better world is possible.
turn off the radio!

forreal tho

emcee growth

pushin you to greatness, wait sun you won’t hate this,
stubborn hard work challenging so you can make this,
grade A, certified, self-determination,
pushing you to grow like forcing seeds into germination,
oaks yelling at acorns to sit down and be patient,
so your future won’t get squirreled away or cracked out on the pavement.

we are not so hard that
we cannot be formed,
emcee egos are castle walls about to be stormed,

emotions are kings
hiding under fancy rap sheets,
“dare to share your heart, we’ll nod our head to its beat,”
whether it’s true or unique, authentic or weird,
in art as in life it’s better to be loved than feared,
so stop scaring your moms and come up out the covers,
prince, nobody believes you even know how to love her,
when all you do is hit, tap, cut, poke, and holla,
a jew like me will twist ya mind up and bake it into challah,
pushing you to greatness
when you reach for mediocre,
content with just leaves
i need you to be an oaker

Elephant Engine High Dive Revival Killed It In The Good Way To Kill

these superb super celebrated slam champs stuffed our faces with the best kind of satiating, salivating, spit-fire hot spoken word poetry stuff. i saw them at the univ of maryland in college park, at my old home with the terpoets, but they are still on tour. check them out.

i copped buddy’s new cd fresh off ani defranco’s record label, and it is some wild good stuff. google that man and listen to and buy his stuff. you will not regret it.

terpoets gets down like this every tuesday night with a free open mic, if anyone in the dmv area is interested in making it out to college park. much love fam, thanks for reading. back with more soon. peace.

mostly forced heaving

i’m slamming again on friday, and i’m not quite prepared. does that mean i’m fated to get another devastatingly low score like last month’s 4.3? we certainly hope not. but it’s not about the points, right, the poetry is the point. or so they tell me. i’ve been writing more recently than i have in the less recent but still not too long ago past, so that gives me a bit of a choice in what to perform. it’s still been mostly forced writing, which is never as good as the projectile vomit poetry that just jumps out your gut when it is ready, not when you are. but some gems have appeared amidst the forced heaving poems of late. but i’m not going to post them on here just yet. i’ve got to get them into the editting shop and fix ‘em up first. you deserve only the best. yes indeed. see you on the other side of the sun. PEACE!