Nikki Giovanni




Poem for A Lady
Whose Voice I Like

so he said: you ain't got no talent 
    if you didn't have a face
    you wouldn't be nobody

and she said: god created heaven and earth 
    and all that's Black within them

so he said: you ain't really no hot shit 
    they tell me plenty sisters
    take care better business than you

and she said: on the third day he made chitterlings 
    and all good things to eat
    and said: "that's good"

so he said: if the white folks hadn't been under
    yo skirt and been giving you the big play
    you'd a had to come on uptown like everybody else

and she replied: then he took a big Black greasy rib
    from adam and said we will call this woeman and her 
    name will be sapphire and she will divide into four parts 
    that simone may sing a song

and he said: you pretty full of yourself ain't chu

so she replied: show me someone not full of herself 
    and i'll show you a hungry person


spoken = Mikah Kavita