Tag: National Poetry Month

30 Days Of Jaye – Final Thoughts

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This year was freeing.

I think I have been able to become more confident in my own poetic voice, and own that voice!

I am proud of myself and the work I am creating. I am bringing the joy back to my art, and along with that— power.

I no longer fear my pen, and I used to. I used to be afraid of how angry I would sound sometimes — but it’s necessary.

Audre Lorde said that there was purpose to anger! And there is.

There are pieces in this cycle of poetry that are angry, because I was angry.

There are pieces in this cycle that are fun and happy, because I was happy.

There are pieces that are introspective and poignant, because I was thinking at my life so far.

This year, I feel so much lighter than I have in succeeding years. I feel like my feet are under me as an artist, able to stand up to criticism and silence my own inner critic.

I’m maturing as a poet. Growing as an artist. And accepting criticism and compliments.

I finally feel like a poet— I hope that makes sense.

Plus! My first poetry anthology is released May 12, 2024. How amazing if that!

Thank you for going on this journey with me.

JBH

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 30: Love Letter To Lost Work

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The old texts say

It is appointed unto man

Once l to die

and then the judgment.

what happens to writers

who leave the world

And in the contents therein

with their mouth full.

Their desks full of papers

And pens

And post-its….

Of jump drives, and

Missing chairs,and

Desks never cleaned out.

What happens to the work when the worker is gone?

When that writer

finally drifts away,

and moved to

Avalon or Valhalla

or Nirvana

or wherever it is

writers get to rest.

Our only regret

is that we had

Only one life to write

all the lives in us down.

In the quiet mind

Of the poet,

there is a graveyard

they forgot to write down.

Novels unfinished.

Thoughts and essays

That they never managed

To submit…

calls, answered from editors or fans.

Scripts that never materialized.

Yet it we could leave

One word for those

who endured our lives

as both person

and immortal vessels

filled with language

it would be this:

Remember.

Remember

how we tried to put

everything

into everything

Ran and out of time.

Remember that we loved

As this truly as we could

and our heart was broken

1000 times…

Remember we tried

to put fire into paper

and try not to burn ourselves.

Remember sometimes tears

Became the water you pull from,

In many a well.

We wrote to live.

We wrote to stay.

And for this great cause

Did we not throw

it all away!

if we could leave

But one love letter

What to you will

find in our wake,

Is tried to correct

every mistake.

to bring back those

who were lost

at the cause of war

Or famine

or evil…

to make the good

Loud and present, and

the fear understood.

We tried to put everything right

to organize

so you can fight!

we did our work

so you could do yours too:

because now our time is come

And this is all we have

to give back to you.

Our only regret

Is we had one life

to write everyone else’s

-JBHarris, 4.2024

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 29: When I Am An Ancestor

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I will be in the everywhere.

When I am

an ancestor,

when the weight of age

and body

are no longer

my trouble over these waters,

I will be in trees

and leaves

and grasses.

I will be thunder and storm.

I will be the truth

that is picked over

during dinners my hands

prepared and in the eyes

of my family,

and those we have heard of me saw me prepare.

I will be in the stares

of grandchildren,

creaking on the stairs

of old houses that

my feet once tread upon.

I will be cloud

and rain,

My truth,

will come from

their mouth

And I will be in dishes

Over glasses and

In the rumbling of laughter —

I will call

And I will be

called an answer.

-JBHarris, 2.12.2024

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 27: Light. Heat. Smoke.

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He said

My mouth was slick,

And I was always

Poppin my shit!

You think that

Him knowing me

As long as

he knew

Himself would prepare

Him for me to

Always come

Ace High,

No chaser —

Hot.

Smooth.

And…

Thick!

Full-bodied

And smooth

…like he likes

All desirable things

He believes

Belong to him.

He brave enough

To say I, too, belong

To him—

Who am I

To argue when

…he be right?

-JBH, 9.3.2023

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 24: The Cry of The Free Woman

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Say Sis-

Did they pick you yet?

Have you now found the courage

To keep trying to out do

Me with whose pussy is better contest?

Have they picked you yet?

You’ve dyed your hair

Gotten the contacts

Gave up contracts

Time

Body and

The most excellent delicate

Whimsical kiss

That Ntozake Shange

Spoke about.

Have they picked you yet?

From all the fighting

On the Internet

From placing your heart

As a useless bet

On countless crap tables

From a man who

Said he would love you forever?

Sis, did he pick you yet?

Did he pick you yet

After all the money you put on his books —

After all the dirty looks —

And from all the right hooks—

Did he pick you yet?

Will your suffering

Finally be enough

To make him come home

Or perhaps—

Raise him from the dead?

Have your eyes

Become so affixed

To the front that

You can’t see what’s

In the back of your head?

Have they picked you yet?

Have they picked you yet

Internet forum

From boardroom

To classroom

Most intimate bedroom talk

To playground,

Have they picked you yet?

The oracle

Nikki Giovanni said

If you find a woman not

full of herself, she’ll be starving,

And clearly you have

Lost both sight and appetite

Feeding on whatever

Is in reach.

Have they picked you yet?

Are your breasts not big enough

The BBL unpaid

Not light enough

Not sweet enough

Did you not make

Him Cum when he

Called enough?

Have they picked you yet?

Us on this side of freedom

Crossing the portion

Of Jordan cannot be affording

The laziness of stopping

Due to your insistence

That you are right

When rail to make

Sure all is not lost.

We will no longer pay this cost!

We are tired of

Having to fight the

World and you too

When you look like me

And I look like me

And I am you.

You see me as problem

To solve,

As the one to save

When truth is

When you try

To bind me to you —

All I have is rage!

All I’m trying to do is live my own life.

It sent to my own self.

With all of myself.

Bringing all of

my selves with me!

The healed versions carrying the wounded versions because my own self is such a treasure.

Did he pick you yet?

Otherwise we will be

In this contest

You blocking the door

Never wanting more

And I refuse to

Stay here with

You forever and a day!

Queens don’t cast

Their crowns to

Neither fools

Nor swine…

So I’ll ask again

Before you run

Out of time —

Have they picked you yet?

-JBHarris, 4.22.2024

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 22: Before The Storm Rolls In

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I don’t know how 42 happened.

That is to say I didn’t think aging

Was what I would do alone.

That is to say the happily ever after

wasn’t meant for me, not like I wanted it to be.

That is to say I am the one who got away, and time marched on anyway,

That is to say the girl I was is the woman I am who takes the little girl who was old when she was young with me —

That is to say the dreaming only got bigger when time became quicker —

That is to say the girl who loved the boy, still waits for him to come back to her…where he belongs.

-JBHarris, 4.14.24

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 14: Bitches’ Brew

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Note: this piece is inspired by the album of the same name by legendary musician, Miles Davis.

You ain’t got tell me

God is Black

Because Miles’ and

Gabriel’s horn

Got to sound

The same!

That horn

With the fire

On the inside

To the outside

That announce

The arrival of

Heroes into the Earth.

The poet prophets

The prophet poets

Responding to the

Echo of the 3 strand

Divinity inside them to

Tell you want is wrong —

And how to right it.

When she is woman

— and not man

She is bossy

She is agitation

She is loud

She is rude

And to push

The hush into her?

You call HER a BITCH.

(Beat)

I’ll be the bitch

Stay that bitch

The chick

Which notices

Every ounce of

This bullshit!

Who’s business

Sits on her chest!

And adjusts in

A good Fenty DOUBLE D bralet!

Because:

who The fuck is youPlaying wit’?!

The brew be that

Fire that bring

Light, heat and smoke

To step on ashes

And in my ether

The unworthy choke!

The world needed

Saving,

And by one man

It was done

And this time

At this reclamation

The truth still

Gon come

From a Black woman!

(Beat)

So…

I’ll be villain in ya story.

I’ll be the lie you repeat.

Because I didn’t

Break in half

Die,

Or gravel at your feet!

That truth be

Fire all up in

The EYE

that make sure

The greens taste

Just right!

Pulling in all the scraps

The world gave

Believing my Black

And woman

Would give

Me no haven.

Time and fire

Made the brew

So when I show up

All big in room,

Yall don’t know

What to do!

But know this,

I know what I

See,

And see what

I say,

And asking me

To shut up?

(Beat)

Bruh, aint no way.

-JBHarris, 4.2.2024

30 Days Of Jaye – Day 11: Elegy For A Ghost Boy

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In another life.

Tamir Rice

Is 21

he’s out with his boys

having fun

with his whole life

in front of him.

He has a mother who loves him

a father who adores him

and he has a sister

who will do anything

in the world to make sure

that his black

and greatness continue

to marry together,

like yams and macaroni and cheese—

but in the reality

of this present earth,

in this present time,

he is a ghost.

Always 12

Encountering a hell

His people knew all

Too well—

he is remembered for 2 shots

In seven seconds from

The weapon of someone

sworn to protect,

but would only protect

those whose complexion

Matches protection.

He is remembered for a smile

that doesn’t quite

reach his eyes

and a mother whose cries

were dismissed

because her son

was Black.

We who were alive

and remain and

remain to be alive

Remember that birthdays

Don’t just don’t stop in cemeteries.

We know to be wary

of all those who say

they stand on the power

of red white and blue

but at the same time we can’t breathe

Because these cherries they show

We can’t eat,

And wonder why every hood

Everywhere is starving for peace!

They were on our neck

Stay on our neck

and they still was all blue.

Not always has amnesia

Been remedy.

For those not seen

and yet are always around—

in the rustle of trees

in the thunder that

comes up from the ground

in the pace and space

of marching feet

we remember

because the world

would rather forget.

Ghosts still get plates at the table.

-JBHarris, 11.23.23

1947

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The break of day

Jack sat in

An office that

Would change his

Life and —

I can’t help

But think of the

Hymn that says

The Blood ‘dun signed my name.

A door which would open

For all those

Coming behind

And remembering

Who was in front.

With this signing

With this mountain climbing

This sport that

Puts together ball and bat

Gave us legacy

Of Black and Athlete

To stand up on

Two feet

And there always

Needs to be a

Dodger Blue 42.

-JBHarris

(Written on Jackie Robinson Day, 4.10.2024)