Yo' Mama's Payback
for Carol Kent Ireland and Lucille Clifton

Mama ain't got no
hip hop jumpstart
swim 50 laps
20 times around the block
she ain't got no
lotus position
bend over backwards
though it feels that way
doin business with the kids
with that man all day
and
Mama ain't got no
high heel sneakers
ruby stud nose ring
no pushup bra
she ain't got no
size 4 mini
rock hard bumcheeks
no neon string
The years and the kids took care of that
All the young dudes laugh
and nudge each other
as if they got the market
cornered on cool
roll their eyes and twirl
index fingers at their temples
Mama just brushes their
crumbs away
Mama's got an impulse to snatch 'em baldheaded
kick em in they draggy size 54 butts
well, she's gonna let that notion slide...

Mama's got perspective
don't need the aggravation
she's got flames in her eyes they haven't
quite
put out yet
pissin' on her dreams...
Mama sits down
at the dining room table
scrawling on the backsides of
recycled junk mail



takin' it down with a stub of a pencil
methodically
setting
each page
on fire

03/09/2010

Posted on 03/09/2010
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