#blacksays by Joshua Idehen
By Wasafiri Editor on May 4, 2021 in
Black is tired.
Black would like
to make a statement:
Black is tired
Black’s eyes
vacant, arms
leaden, tongue
can’t taste shit
stomach cannot compress death.
Black would like
to state: Black is not
a beast of myth, slain
in a fable, recounted
on a roundtable by brave,
blue-collar men
Black has
demands: baton proof
bones and bullet
resistant skin
Black wrote
an article: 500 Years That Prove State
Approved Lynchings Should Go
The Way Of Dubstep
and
Black thinks
no person that trigger
eager deserves a gun
much less a badge
Black knows one day
its hands will go
up, its lips
pinned but its shadow
reaching for something
that’s not there
and that’ll be enough
Black says
keep your 40 acres just
let Black reach the end
of the street just
let Black reach for the last
skittles sweet just
let Black reach into Black’s own
car let Black reach
into Black’s own lungs
Black doesn’t want its
young ones seeing fathers die
on youtube
Pausing halfway to keep
them alive. Black says
it’s always been like this
Black’s seen your grin
your grin is a pirate flag
Black’s hands bleed
from the knife edge
you offered on your side
of the handshake
Black is angry now
Black is in pain.
Black’s nerves
are fireflies dancing
with grief, a curse–word
trapped in a bracket. A sentence
too intense for one
full stop. Black’s
pain needs…
Black’s sat in a room.
Lights off, candles out. Nothing fair or
fair skinned about Black’s
pain, Oh, Black knows
you commiserate, Black
knows you sympathise.
Black says you don’t understand, Black
says you
cannot compare, Black
says you
cant empathise, Black
says this
pain is too pepper, Black
says you
cannot digest, Black
says how
can you relate?
When these black
lips are this full and
these black knees
are this ashy and this black voice
is this loud and these black cheeks
is this round and this black skin
is this proud and this black skin
is this cocoa butter
shiny and this black
praise is dance, this black sorrow
is dance this black struggle
is dance this black
hair is nappy and balding
and weaved and balding
and thick
it’s so thick it’s so thick it’s
so thick it’s so thick it’s
So long like octopus
legs stretching over skies, blotting out
the sun, inking up the cotton
and the cocaine
And now Black’s
emotions are a hurricane. And now Black’s
emoting from the Everest
Black says black has tried everything
Black has jived
with both hands,
breastfed your children
pulled its pants up,
learned to beg
in your language
laughed at your stupid, stupid jokes
eaten your terrible
rendition of jollof rice
stiffened its lips, bitten
its tongue to a nub,
Filled the corners of your self
adulation with its excellence
and now
Black wants to know
what else can it do?
Black is desperate now
Black’s brought all its children to the parking
lot, all its treasures
to the auction block. Black
says it’s willing to negotiate.
Black says give
Black some dignity
And Black will give you twerking
Black knows you love
hip hop. Black will
swap hip hop for a chance
to live on its feet. Black
says let Black have a safe
space with all of its friends and fam
and it’ll let you have first
place in the 100 metres final.
Get the Williams Sisters to quit
winning for a year
Black wants you
to know nothing
is off the table.
Black would do anything
for its humanity
Just let black be
Black says
Just let black be
–
Joshua Idehen is a Poet, workshop facilitator, musician and founder of renowned poetry/music magazine Poejazzi. As a poet, he has performed at most major festivals, appeared in anthologies alongside Linton Kwesi Johnson. As a musician, he works in three bands: Benin City, HUGH and with electro dub outfit LV. He has gained accolades from Qmag, Artsdesk, Fact, Mojo, Clash, Mixmag, DJ and DIY.
“Not My House“, a new single by Joshua Idehen + LV, is out 11 May 2021.
“#blacksays” was shortlisted for the 2020 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize for Poetry.
Enter the prize here. Entries close 31 May 2021.
