Art and poetry from the summer 2006 edition of Sisters~Nineties.

WARRIOR SUPREME
(Katherine Dunham Kwansaba)
by Mama Collette

Hail, queenly African scholar sublime teacher supreme
the creator of pelvic mastery voyaged blessed
waters east St. Louis, Senegal, Haiti, tropic paths
danced islands' ancient rituals calling kinfolk present
A rainbow-dressed warrior whirled history lessons
changed twisted beliefs bearing African customs forever
Radiant rhythms always rise through stormy sundews
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Copyright © 2006 by Mama Collette

EMPRESS
by D. Morrowloving

royal icon of anthropological dynamics
Empress Dunham pulverized lies into Vodun flames
to reclaim Afrikan past with goodwill grace of movement
And we shout, Kaiso!!

In tradition of Bessie Coleman and Josephine Baker
the Empress refused stages for segregated audiences
We applaud her defiance—void of egocentrism—
and cry out, Asante!

Striking fast against western injustices to Haiti
Katherine Dunham, priestess and majestic choreographer,
neither faltered nor wavered nor fell into
the need to accommodate or placate
No dreams deferred

Historical eyes remember La Grande Dame
for opening front rather than rear doors
to Hollyweird and mainstream america
so that we continue with confidence, pride
and we raise fists in solidarity stating,
Asé
_____________________________
Copyright © 2006 by D. Morrowloving

POWER DANCE DARK
by Mama Collette

blash!
black
Oya hurled through St. Louis
breaking light into pieces
Sango spit fire in a roar
horizontal trees—log like/roots up
sirens . . .

Half million without power
without power?
america’s got talent no more
101 heat indexes/advised get to cooling centers
no air to condition you

Foremothers/ fathers wiped their brows
an eon summers ago
navigating their way to freedom . . . freedom calls
they power danced through the blackness of night
quick stepped to so-called hallelujah grounds
shimmied from strange fruit

I sat on the side of my bed/ soaking in the darkness
not a flicker of stars after the storm
visualizing my freedomscape . . .
making zero apologizes
‘cause my nappy hair makes me happy,
full hips and lips I love

slowly I rose from the bed
flung my short Alvin Ailey arms
in the air as far as I could
energized/ I felt tall
I swayed across my hot dark room/ hands loose
sweat dripping from my face into my eyes

I closed my eyes, did a slow dance in circles for Andrew
the drumming got louder the beat faster
I persuaded my African feet to move as fast
as they could accommodate my well-endowed hips,
bending/turning/high stepping/jumping and kicking

Angels on my shoulder/I did a low level bend for Alberta
washing family clothes on a washboard hot summer days
back steps no/I stepped for Jim
walking to work in 100 degree temperatures
stomped/kicked for ancestor cotton pickers
that endured crackers’ whips for slowing down
I danced for sisters/ old/ elderly/ wheelchair bound/ fat/ plump pleasingly/ queen
size/ holding to the side of a chair/ can’t get up/ don’t want to get up/ holding on . . .
holding on . . .
sweating as never before
I went beyond myself/physically exhausted
I crossed my hands to my breast
did a bow thanking the drummers
I heard in my nappy head

Brightness
I hurried to the store/105 heat indexes predicted
Sisters’ carts loaded with two, three cases of soda
some with batteries, some with flashlights, candles, a few with water
we forgot about our differences yet more similar to each other
the talk in line was about the outage/ where we live
I had little in my cart/ a sister asked if I had power
Power? Indeed I do/the electricity is off

black out
Black in
Let us dance in the stillness
when we can see and feel the movement of unity
when we drum together as a community of people
Let us bounce/slow drag/shimmy/chittlin strut/hip hop/snake hip/slide/bop/two step/
two steps forward . . . /out of the darkness/wake up to our power of greatness
Celebrate Blackness

____________________________

Copyright 2006 by Mama Collette

"Paradise Lost" by r2c2h2/1998

PARADISE

by D. Morrowloving

Red birds of paradise fly
from man-made terracotta pots
to nowhere
He was her paradise lost
Women's intuition screams clear
third eye vision
She was his paradise found
______________________________
Copyright © 2006 by D. Morrowloving



PARADISE LOST
by Wilma Potts

Bulbous, jeweled hand
Smashes against bridge
Ejects her across room
She clutches swollen belly
Shields cauliflower ear
Broken teeth clatter to floor
Dam bursts from puffy eyes
He was her paradise lost
She was his paradise found
__________________________
Copyright © 2006 by Wilma Potts



PARADISE LOST
by Toni Crayton

Don’t paint me with same brush of colors
Don’t see me the same always
Don’t box me in
She was his paradise found
Brash, gentle, intriguing, sweet
With a touch of bitters
He was her paradise lost
____________________________
Copyright © 2006 by Toni Crayton