It’s so nice to have settled the last word and sent off my manuscript! It’s been a long haul, has 2019 so far, but we’re making it through a day at a time, so yay for that!
Late in the day, but I ran across this poem earlier this week and saved it aside for Poetry Friday. It goes along with Nikki Giovanni’s other poem on spiders “Allowables from which I so frequently quote:
Mercy
She asked me to kill the spider
Instead, I got the most
peaceful weapons I can find
I take a cup and a napkin.
I catch the spider, put it outside
and allow it to walk away
If I am ever caught in the wrong place
at the wrong place, just being alive
and not bothering anyone,
I hope I am greeted
with the same kind
of mercy.
Blessed are the merciful, indeed. Should any of us be caught in the wrong, or being the wrong color, gender, preference, and in the wrong place, let’s hope we all obtain mercy – from cops at routine traffic stops, from judicial benches, from educational systems and from each other. We are none of us free until we are all free. Pax.
Thank you for two great poems to hang on my classroom walls. “Allowables” is so much more elegant than my “If you’re not hungry enough to eat it, don’t kill it” maxim.
CONGRATULATIONS on your manuscript. The world needs more of your books!
Were your ears burning when I was at the Highlights symposium on cultural competency and YOUR NAME was on the list of the 90 (GAH…only NINETY) traditionally published Black women who are writing for youth age 8-18? I squealed very quietly on your behalf. Write on, Cuz, write on. We need your voice.
@MaryLee: But, honestly, “if you’re not hungry enough to eat it,” really is going to be the winner with middle graders, no? ☺
Thank you so much for the squeals and kind words, Cousin! The photos from that symposium were GORGEOUS – it looked like it was just such a marvelous time among brilliant people.
Gorgeous poem; as anything by Ms. Giovanni.
And HUZZAH on sending off another manuscript!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!