*the following poem is in the tradition of the african 'call back', in which the reciter says a verse/s and the audience calls back a response. what are in parenthesis below is the response.
saw him 'round the neighborhood
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
said to myself he looks good
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
whispered to one of my girls
gots to have him in my world
fingerplay in those tight curls
she said, you bet' go on girl!
(steppin' high, steppin' proud--4 x's)
so had to come up with a way
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
to meet him, but what could i say?
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
not much of an aggressor, chile
sollution came not in awhile
batted my eyes and gave a smile
then turned and moved down the store aisle
(steppin' high, steppin' proud--4x's)
he followed not too close behind
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
and asked about the name of mine
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
must show him how to play the game
said, sorry i don't give my name
and i don't mean to keep it plain
but some you know are quite insane
(steppin' high, steppin' proud--4x's)
he gave back smile, teeth pearly white
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
with golden fronts, ooh, what a sight!
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
laid it on me nice and sweet
said, i don't bite, i don't eat meat
would hate to leave here in defeat
my mind ran, hid in great retreat
(steppin' high, steppin' proud--4x's)
now i agreed to let him win
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
that's when the drama ushered in
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
there in my face a hand with ring
attached to one huffed up miss thing
oh what a song that she did sing
i said, my fault sis, no big thing
(steppin' high, steppin' proud--4x's)
now as they left he gave a wink
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
i'm not that type, what did he think?
(steppin' high, steppin' proud)
brotha best to recognize
he ain't all that although he's fine
wanted to give a piece of mind
but turned and moved on out in time
steppin' high, steppin' proud!
copyright 2003
6 comments:
Lively! Something Mu, did you write this?
yeah, i did. glad you like it...
I keep comin' back to re-read :-) You have more, I'm sure...
(smile)girl, do i... i've been writing for a very long time. before i started being a good little muslimah [enter,coy look] i used to perform a lot. that's when it was just my 1st born & me. after i married & began extending my brood, i settled into that. my husband would love to see me out there some more, but i'm just not interested. who's has the time??
i'm still known for my work, though. i love when from time to time someone my son may find kool-one of my old artist buds- bigs me up in front of him. he looks sort of astonished, like mom didn't have a life before! he shutters to think that i could possibly have had any kind of kool within these bones... as if i'm not the one who puts him down on all the old school hip-hop & styles, & makes sure he looks flyyy for his own poetic outings...
:-) I love the power of spoken word. So many cultures have perfected the art of storytelling. Must share more when you have time (when Do you have time? So far I have pieced together, wife, homeschooler, spiritual, reader, writer, new mama and business owner...)
I liked it too :) Hope to catch up on ur blog.
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