BLACK AUGUST HAIKU POEMS
“Speak our truth, Beloved
Words like a balm on our souls
so we can carry on…”–Marielle Smith
“Black magic is how
we can throw our heads back and
still laugh in the midst
Pain transformed into
punchlines, music, power and
back to tears once more”–Makani Themba
#BlackAugust2019 #BlackAugust575
“When St. Louis cried
The streets bled and the world saw
Resistance as love”–Shani Angela
“George Stiney Jr, Emmett Till
there are no children.
war and greed kill mothers first,
fathers, faith, futures
no chair for Emmett
no tears, mother to witness
no holding of hands
you must light the world
you must haunt their killers, free
the children to run”–Peter Hardie
“which one of you here
in my left shoulder, laughing
when I think I’m strong
which one in my hip
trembling when I fall in love
keeping me right there
who thrums up my spine
when history in the room
whispering this, now
who folds me in two
when the world breaks my small heart
saying, I’ll hold you
I know, ancestor
I know, freedom fighter, witch
warrior, lover
the ancestor I
am becoming / knows your names
each divine letter
the ancestor I
am becoming / loves you so
each sacred moment”–Adrienne Maree Brown