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And when

and when I considered asking you
to move here, travel north
start over. I had already begun to make room for you
a spare futon prepared
and my own life got in the way,the invite never extended

and when the phone rang on that burning August night
I was expecting you to be on the other end
but instead, it was your mother,
there was a fight, she said
you had not survived.

and when, even after your death, I couldn't come to your funeral
single mothers have no savings accounts
and when I didn't visit your grave until
many years later
I sat on your grounds and
imagined you were still there

and when now, 10 years later
I still cannot look at your photo
without remembering the childhood shared with you
summers in Tennessee, day-old snack cakes and Fat Mama's house
summer camp and dollar movies

and when I see you again
I will apologize
when i see you again


hope you will remember me

I hope you will forgive me...

Brother

notice how your mere presence scares them
watch how they scatter when you enter the room

see how they can't even look at you
without their heads lowered, voices hushed and muted?

they know all about your history,
how your veins flow freely with the blood of kings and queens

some men try to duplicate what you have, but they never could
it doesn't even come in all sizes, cannot be bought in a store

it's the way you move-even through the doorway,
your confidence entering the room before you do

and I don't expect to understand
how it feels to be a black man, I know your eyes have seen more than I have in my lifetime

even though your skin shines coconut brown like mine
even though your hair ropes and twists like mine

it seems as though you arrived here long before your time
a staggering stature, the pure definition of swagger


you are the kind of man all women look for
the one we'd all choose to spend every waking moment with

you will always be the one, over all others we will choose
when we close our eyes at night- we even dream about you

a history of tragedy, upsets and nonsense
has left you guarded, always on the defense

you may be misunderstood, but your heart pumps strength
strength that stretches beyond the norm

so the next time you don't believe the strength you have
and how much power you exude?

notice how your mere presence scares them
watch how they scatter when you enter the room

GOOD MAN

She is not nearly
as pretty as my mother.
My brother and I

make faces at her
when she is not looking. Her
dress is too tight, her

hair is teased and dyed.
But she makes my father feel
young again. Mama

does not know about
her. One day, she and Daddy
dropped my brother and

I off at the Main
Street movie complex, giving
us 20 bucks each.

They promised us they
would return before sun down.
We ate our way

through all things sweet,
good and buttery and six
hours later we

skipped back out onto
the sidewalk. We wait for two
hours and our

Father never comes.
It is dark when we board the
last bus of the day

and ride home, stomachs
aching- not from the pounds of
butter, sugar and

salt, but from what we
knew would happen next; once
we arrived back home.

As we stepped off the
bus, Daddy's white Cadillac
sped up beside us,

Daddy! We both screamed,
as if we had not seen him
in all of our

years. Just then, Mama
peeked out the front door, her head
a halo of blue

plastic rollers. Come
inside, she said before you
catch your death. We fall

in line, her army
of misfits, sitting down for
a dinner of Dad's

favorites: Chicken
corn and sweet potatoes. On
Dad's first bite, Mama

asked Where on earth have
you been for the entire
day and night?Without

a second thought my
brother and I yell We saw
THREE movies! Just as

Daddy said We went
fishing on the lake. The room
swelled, our words hung

in the air, with no
one to rescue them. Mama
said nothing more, the

only sound that dared
to remain was fork- scraping-
plate, fork- scraping -plate.

Lullaby

he smells like similac

lacks guidance she

guides him into

truth telling

telling her baby that

maybe she'll be back

black night darkness falls

he calls her Ma

she has no children

she wears ripped tshirts

skirt hiked up

underneath/ nothing

pulling him under

with her

they get lost

in sunsets and

$30.00 lobsters

spread out on Walmart rugs

he tugs on her night gown

she frowns when his cell phone rings

as

his

wife

sings

him

back

 

home…

Hosted By: Crystal Senter Brown/ Springfield Library
When: Saturday Apr 12, 2008
at 1:00 PM
Where: Springfield Library
220 State Street
Springfield, Massachusetts|22 01109
United States
Description:
Crystal Senter Brown/ Springfield Library

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Hey folks!  My friend arlela and I just returned from Jelupa production's Love and Happiness Play, at the Drama Studio's black box theatre.  What a treat! 



There was a live jazz band led by Marcus Pitts, with two GREAT singers- who provided the music for the entire play.  The role of Steve was played by the writer of the play Rick Scott Gordon, and the role of Lucy was played by the founder of Jelupa productions- L'Kuicha Parks.

The play told the story of two people who meet and fall in love later in life- after both experienced failed marriages..but a health related secret threatens to end  the new love before it even has a chance to begin.  The play is really well done, both Rick and L'Kuicha do a great job!  I almost believed they were really in love!   It also teaches the seriousness of diabetes and high blood pressure, and how the two diseases combined is almost always a deadly combination.  There were brochures on both topics in the lobby of the theatre.

Marcus Pitts served as musical director for the play, and he led a 4 piece band through six songs that helped to tell the story even better.  Singers Jackie and LeRoy added their own spin to the story, at times narrarating, while other times singing.  LeRoy's soulful tenor bass made the ladies in the audience swoon to his rhythm! 


The Drama Studio's black box theatre provides and intimate setting for this touching tale.  There is no intermission, so arrive early enough to purchase snacks from the concession stand, and other Jelupa merchandise.  You can also sign up to receive notifcation of future plays.

There are a few more performances of Love and Happiness, so please check out the upcoming performances- there are two on Sunday- one at 3:30 and one at 8, and the play runs again next weekend.

Tell your friends to go too!

Most of you know that my Mom Janice Treece Senter is an artist- well she has some really cool paintings and prints for sale- check it out!

 

 

 

 

Hosted By: D. Moss
When: Saturday Dec 22, 2007
at 7:00 PM
Where: Panorama: Holiday Inn
711 Dwight Street
Springfield, Massachusetts|22 01103
United States
Description:
D. Moss

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