Sound waves take their time
as if they understand
clarity needs patience.
I must lean in close
closer
to decipher the slurred, soft words
of the elderly.
I am forced into restraint.
Mentally bound to a hard, cold chair
remembering
a past I have not lived
a struggle I have not endured.
With every rise and fall of
her tongue, every caress of syllable
every metaphor carefully placed
the years rewind- five, ten, twenty
my skin darkens
until I, too, am a Southern negro woman
dodging Molotov cocktails that jump
and jive in my living room, refusing
anything less than recognition
of my humanity.
I am statuesque in climbing flames.
I do not yell, weep, or react with just violence.
Instead, I speak
in the soft, slurred words of the abused
as the curtains ignite and mama's pictures
frolic contortions at my feet.
I speak for my people; arms, backs, and legs
meringued by Master's whip.
For my sisters
deflowered in front of me,
and those not allowed
to advance so far.
I will not be silenced. Not then
not now, in my own skin, my own
time. I am angry, not bitter
and her words resonate- conspire
deep within a place I've just found.
I will not be silenced.
Author notes
I don't know who nominated this to be In the Spotlight, but I humbly thank you. I humbly thank everyone who's responded to this. I'm generally tough-skinned in regard to my work and rarely appreciate praise. (Critique makes the writing better!) I have been completely taken aback by everyone's response to this. Thank you.
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 31 of 31
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powerful
I like this very much, some powerful images, and I read down there further that you listened to her speak and was moved to tears, well this is a wonderful response to your emotions on seeing her speak. Bravo! -
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Well shucks, thanks.
How ya been kiddo?
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No, I humbly thank you for creating such a fantastic piece of art! It truly brings joy to my face when I read something marvelous and this was one of those poems. Great job and congrats on the spotlight!
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Very strong write. Very precise use of language. Your imagery cuts deep. Well done.
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The impact and strength of this piece is incredible. There is something essentially beautiful and strong about Maya, a feeling that she is drawing on things beyond herself, and this poem captures that. Excellent!
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No use for a name... I rather remain nameless and remembered for my actions because they speak louder than words. Let my moves paint me as poetry and my daily routines sing lyrics the squeal of a bus stopping for passengers on a morning ride to their nine to five. Yes, let me be as nameless as that stranger with the smiling face who's struggles I can relate to becasue they are me and I am he or she who needs this release but do not scream or rage against a machine because we have needs and mouths to feed; still, I'd rather be nameless. So I use none and when the cops come, I'm that stranger with tight greens. I know stealings wrong but that bread calms a quivering belly and that cream quiets a crying child...
LOL Let me stop. Much love. Write on. One.
Dez.
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"I will not be silenced. Not then,
not now, in my own skin, my own
time. I am angry, not bitter,
and her words resonate- conspire,
deep within a place I've just found-
I will not be silenced."
This was quite beautiful. You really did capture the beauty and gracefullness of which is Maya Angelou. She is one of my favorite writers, I wish I could write as well as she does. The women even speaks like a goddess.
Angelou is an huge inspiration for many women, no matter their color or their creed. I think you embody her personal struggle into this piece quite lovely.
Thank you for writing this
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" I do not yell, weep, or react with just violence.
Instead, I speak,
in the soft, slurred words of the abused, "
Very powerful and deep
Your whole piece was simply remarkable
WoW what an ending,
just enjoyed the whole piece.
GREAT !!! job...
Justgot2loveme
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Your own voice is very powerful here. It's a stirring and well written piece, and not enough people will take ti to heart, so, it also sets a deep dismay in my depths for the inhumanity the world still suffers.
Tremendous work!
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Sometimes I read a poem and my tongue is stilled and all I am able to do is smile and applaud. Others I ramble across and perhaps say too much without the ability to summarize without sounding brusque. Upon reading this I felt compelled to do both, for I want to say every magnificent about your poetry and yet know that it will not be adequate.
The title is an excellent introduction, the poetry itself breathes, you give life to all the sadness, madness and badness yet you don't add to it. You portray the essence of Maya Angelou with incredible understanding and portray this strong spirited soulful Sister in a way which I wish I had been able.
I have read many of her poems and Quotes and two of the books from her five part autobiography, it is one of my wishes to find the other three. Your poetry nails it, she has not emulated any of the dark deeds against herself or her people, she is not acidic or bitter but stalwart in her belief that these things should not be forgotten lest they are ever, ever, allowed to occur again. I have a great affection and respect for her and was touched by the respect and affection that you afforded this wonderful Lady who has given us great lessons in humility.
I felt humbled reading this. Kudos.
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I love how this poem flows, also the admiration you have for miss Angelou. Lovely work!
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This is amazing. Great piece. Could've been written by Angelou herself.
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This is amazing. Very good. Great poem.
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This is an excellent, internal journey through another woman's soul ... beautifully done. I saw Maya Angelou speak in person about 20 yrs ago ... she is a strong presence and an amazing woman.
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Normally I hate contemporary styles but the enjambment in this piece and the force of the tone, your adjective and verbs all work very well together. The poem was an interesting and delightful read. Nice title too; it draws the reader into a state of curiosity that is upheld throughout the piece. Nicely executed. Peace, Dannie
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It's almost as though you were present. You obviously have a furtile imagination. I have one suggestion; i.e. the passages "I speak for my peole; arms, backs and legs meengued by master's whip" you might add whose in front of arms and replaced merengued with filleted which more accurtely describes the flesh after a whipping. Aside from that it's a great piece. Happy trails.
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This is beautiful. I'm not one for long comments, but I hope you can understand how awestruck I am. Your words create a flowing river that pulled me along and almost dragged me under. Amazing.
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I am fallen!
This so great that i am fallen short of speech. tell me is there any story behind this work cause i am so curious. If this is your original then, that is fantastic. I am beyond words. I believe that Maya Angelou is the female James Baldwin of literature and i am all for Mr. Baldwin's writing style! Fantastic!!
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lefthanded, this is my original work. I'm a huge James Baldwin fan! I started compiling a list of books that I'd never read, last year for Christmas, I got about 10 that were on the list. (The list is very long now!) All of them were by African American writers that I hadn't read in college and had never gotten around to reading on my own.
Both James Baldwin and Maya Angelou were on that list. The story behind the Maya Angelou piece is- the Sundance Channel has a show called Iconoclast. Maya Angelou and Dave Chappel were on there together. I'd never seen her speak before, only read handfuls of her poetry through out the years. She moved me to tears. She was very soft spoken but so incredibly powerful.
As a woman writer, and one that's got through college, when we study poetry, we study mostly male poets. Women weren't allowed to write for so long, or wrote under men's names... I cannot imagine the discrimination a woman faced as a writer even 60 years ago. I imagine the struggles Ms. Angelous faced as an African American woman were tenfold. I admire her strength and her talent. That's what prompted the write.
Thank you for reading.
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This is a fantastic piece.
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i was never taken out of the, power, i would say, of the poem by mischosen words. very reverent, i like that you would show your love for Maya the way she would have. it's a wonder- that we can be her through poetry, and i try not to use that lightly- wonder
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You are asking for hard critique, sorry I havn't got any to offer, the power of your poetry, between realism symbolism and metaphor is taking me, I just love your first 3 lines. and the last stanza is awsome.
Thank you for sharing your tallent with us.
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the voices that cannot be silenced, many of them, you picked the one close to your heart yet you picked all of them whatever the cause and echoed it in respectable manner, adding your power, your need. you did in in style. impressed.
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Powerful
This is one of the most powerful things you have ever written. I hope that Maya reads this one day. I know she will be honored.
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Dear NUFAN
I myself like Ms Maya's voice in her poems and stories, and I like this as well. I am not sure that Ms Angelou is aware that when one reads her things, that it is as if she were there with you in your living room, among old friends.
I get that same feeling here NUFAN! Extraordinary is truly an understatement!
Best Regards,
John-Las Vegas, Nevada
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The face of injustice through an old woman's eyes and you have given this person a face and a name in our heads. I applaud your words and powerful visualisation that you conjure up in this. Well done poet.
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Amazing!
I absolutely loved this poem! It's brillanly written and expressed. Beautiful write!
Black Ink
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Fantastic..
I love the way this poem flows..
I must lean in close,
closer,
to decipher the slurred, soft words
of the elderly.
I keep hearing the second 'closer' as a suductive wisper.. -
Excellent
I really like the approach you have taken here, to immerse yourself so deeply in a great woman's work to the point of astute empathy. I think it is well written. The problem that I had with it is where you have chosen to make your line breaks. I think that you should revisit that aspect of this write and just for example the first line, I would either make that whole sentence your first line or break it after the word time.
Sound waves take their time
to reach me. As if....
clarity takes patience.
I must lean in close,
closer to decipher
the slurred soft words
of the elderly.
Something along those lines I feel would provide
the proper breaks needed when speaking this out loud.
I am by far no expert on these matters, but this is what I see.
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I agree about the line breaks completely. It's hard to edit that for me, because even when I read it out loud, I know how it sounds in my head and read accordingly.
Let me know if this version is better, wouldja?
Thanks again.
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