(Apropos Of A Contemplative Minute)
Hey, being Black is not a style
It is a reality of the imaging
Of you and me:
Afros, braids, and dreadlocks
Beautiful and proud
Dashikies and kufis
Jeans & khakis & overalls
Beating drums & banjo playing
Gumbo and Bar-B-Que
Curry goat and lamb stew
And—yes—those chitlins
Which were once a survivor’s
Menu of ancestors of me and you
Who fought to the death to prevent
The murdering of our own
Spirit and ourselves
And who understood while
There are changes in life
Being Black is not about styling
But living loud & being Black
And proud and thankful
To our Creator in flowing thoughts
Like these—and you—flowing with me
In gracious moments of Peace and Love:-