Ebou, I can see why this poem would be offensive to both African Americans and Whites. It would be interesting to know what you were thinking about when you wrote this poem because it appears you may have contempt for certain aspects of American culture (Black and White).
Cynthia
Ebou Jallow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I attracted unwarranted controversy over a public reading of the original poem from both African-Americans/Whites who misjudged my intentions (which is an open game for any artist). I can only hope that my poetry only tells a story...the "unsaid story", as Heidegger puts it, for humans to understand and appreciate...Below is the slightly different original poem. Some of the language does sound politically incorrect and religiously improper ( there are two mangled lines from the Bible) but only as a technique to defamiliarize the obvious. I will forward this email to the G-L...Just in case....
Thanks for your comments,
Ebou
________
Why Am I So Black Nor White
Years of crucifying blue-eyed gaze
Soiled my black spirit and body nude;
Bought, bound ‘n’ bundled in blue,
Lynched on Christmaze trees for days.
Now my blues swing, jingle, and sell
When Santa KKKlaus makes me sing
Melodies of pain, jail and living hell…
"I’aint nigga, a boy or uncle tom no mo
I get me a bling bling , a house and a ho."
The heart of the born-again inclines to the right,
But the bleeding heart slouches towards the left.
King was spared a dream with the right bullet,
Sanctified black soul is bought with the left ballot;
Every four more years one more white promise
Gets garnished with a faithful black compromise.
We daydream a black and white dream no more
Nor redeem the Old Promise owed moons ago.
We hope, sing, joke, and sprint the last breath
Into despair, self-doubt, debt and gray death…
---------------------------------
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