Monday, January 9, 2012

beauty that feeds fire


(Makonde belly mask, Africa)


*for brownin'*

secrets to your soul
don't make their home only in your curves
they shine like sutras
carved from the face of diamonds
at the very apex of your nerves
my arms learn their language
embracing the flesh of butterscotch
drunk with what could be
and is righteously
no fear of the hangovers
denoting what your soul is not
smiles you flash
akin to sugar upon a glass of spiced rum
that suffices to soothe the burn
sparked by flames of laughter
you release from your tongue
and each night since meeting you
i've been happy
knowing exactly where beauty that feeds fire
finds its vessel for freedom

Sunday, January 8, 2012

haiku 1.8.12



right upon your heart
i wrote my name; may that ink
of love never dry.

salt spray



it was so long ago
when late summer brought us to the sea
and love that could have spoken its name
went mute amid the growing night
i saw beauty two fold
and i saw your face grow cold
even as the heat rose in the room
and if had known
that would be the last moment of time
shared between you and me
i would've wrapped you up
like those waves that danced on your skin
wiped the salt spray out of your eyes
and let you see
how you lived inside of me
and now
that first moment when i swim
and saltwater makes me blink
is always going to frame you
in blinding light and cool surf

Thursday, January 5, 2012

cool like menthol




*for brownin'*

in moments cool like menthol
waltzing down the back of the throat
i see you, shapely
full like the hearts of peaches
taking bitterness left in the soil of your soul
and letting it turn to sweetness
much like wine does
these bits of time
cool like that first meeting of fingers
that burn slow long after they part
unlike smoke
you've proven you are someone
who can never fade away

music break: Fertile Ground



for the first music break of the New Year, i thought i'd
get the spirit stirred up with this track from Fertile
Ground, a fantastic band out of Baltimore. there's no easy
way to define their sound, it's a melting pot of Soul, Afrobeat
and jazz. enjoy it!!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

songs to frame the clouds. (rememberance for Anisa Fujah)



i awoke to hear the wind walk down the block and run its fingers
along the windows. it's somewhat fitting that the temperature is
15 degrees in New York City today. it seems that much colder after
hearing some terrible news last night.

a sister by the name of Anisa L. Fujah left this world for the next
world last night. i think it's safe to say a good deal of warmth and
light left with her. while i can't claim to have known her deeply, i
knew her well enough to be struck deeply by who she was. i met Anisa
way back, thanks to another talented and beautiful soul by the name
of D.Cross, around the time when i was ripping and running from poetic oasis
to poetic oasis. the one thing i remember without fail is THAT VOICE.
she had a voice that when she sang, it was like sunlight framing the
clouds with gold. just to hip you to that, check out the video below
of her at the BellyFeast Living Room series hosted by my dearest
sisterfriend Iowan Tribal:



Anisa was always someone ready with a smile. as i read all of the
posts on people's Facebook walls, it dawned on me just how many of
us near and far she touched. i still get wistful hearing her and
D.Cross do their own remix of Lupe Fiasco's 'Kick Push' back in Iowan's
brownstone apartment on Franklin Avenue. when someone loved leaves us
like this, you find yourself asking 'why?' a lot. it leaves you asking
questions of gods, friends and ultimately yourself. anguish and heartbreak
sit at your shoulders when this happens. but i know now, there is no
tragedy here. Anisa Fujah is still alive within every person who knew
her no matter how long or how little she knew them and that's nothing to be
sorrowful about. that, good people is a legacy.

so this morning, while the world seems colder, the clouds seem to shimmer
a bit brighter. and i think it's because Anisa's up there, letting her
voice scatter sweetly to make them that much more beautiful. and that
makes me feet a little more warm. but only a little.

Monday, January 2, 2012

mulled wine in the dark




before too long
our yearning will grow
too warm for candles
and stretch outside of the safety
of the shadows they provide
i want my fingertips to reside
in the gentle sweep of cleavage
that's akin to rolling waves
i suspect our first kiss
will have the taste
of mulled wine in the dark sipped slow
chocolate and toffee chips
and the passion below.