The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni by Nikki Giovanni Read Free Book Online Page A

lines
    and light-blue mascara
    reaching all the way down beyond the red neck
    crossing the middle age spread
    form a double V (at home and the office)
    spinning spidery daydreams of cloth
    once covering and once removed
    dripping babies
    I asked why
    the group wouldn’t be in the Black community
    (it was Black French—which I should point out
    has nothing to do with sex)
    And was told quite soundlee
    that just because they’re colored don’t
    mean they’re not artists too
    THEY’RE ARTISTS TOO AND COLOR
    AIN’T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT
    AND WHY OH WHY WON’T YOU PEOPLE
    LET US FORGET YOU’RE COLORED TOO
    Token Negroes
    I do believe, at least I was told,
    and it is very important
    for future exchanges
    And again I must point out sex is not the issue
    that we should simply fuck
    tokenism

Of Liberation
    Dykes of the world are united
    Faggots got their thing together
    (Everyone is organized)
    Black people these are facts
    Where’s your power
    Honkies rule the world
    Where’s your power Black people
    (There are those who say it’s found in the root of all evil)
    You are money
    You seek property
    Own yourself
    3/5 of a man
    100% whore
    Chattel property
    All of us
    The most vital commodity in america
    Is Black people
    Ask any circumcised honkie
    There are relevant points to be considered, Black People
    Honkies tell niggers don’t burn
    â€œviolence begets you nothing my fellow americans”
    But they insist on straightened hair
    They insist on bleaching creams
    It is only natural that we would escalate
    It has been pointed out:
    â€œIf we can’t out fight them, we can’t out vote them”
    These are relevant points to consider
    If 10% honkies can run south africa
    then
    10% Black people (which has nothing to do with negroes)
    can run america
    These are facts
    Deal with them
    It has been pointed out:
    â€œThe last bastion of white supremacy
    is in the Black man’s mind”
    (Note—this is not a criticism of brothers)
    Everything comes in steps
    Negative step one: get the white out of your hair
    Negative step two: get the white out of your mind
    Negative step three: get the white out of your parties
    Negative step four: get the white out of your meetings
    BLACK STEP ONE :
    Get the feeling out (this may be painful—endure)
    BLACK STEP TWO :
    Outline and implement the program
    All honkies and some negroes will have to die
    This is unfortunate but necessary
    Black law must be implemented
    The Black Liberation Front must take responsibility
    For Black people
    If the choice is between the able and the faithful
    The faithful must be chosen
    Blackness is its own qualifier
    Blackness is its own standard
    There are no able negroes
    White degrees do not qualify negroes to run
    The Black Revolution
    The Black Liberation Front must set the standards
    These are international rules
    Acquaint yourself with the Chinese, The Vietnamese,
    The Cubans
    And other Black Revolutions
    We have tried far too long to ally with whites
    Remember the rule of thumb:
    WILD ANIMALS CAN BE TRAINED
    BUT NEVER TAMED
    The honkie is this category
    Like any beast he can be trained with varying degrees
    of excellence to
    1) eat from a table
    2) wash his hands
    3) drive an automobile or bicycle
    4) run a machine
    5) And in some rare cases has been known to speak
    This is training, Black people,
    And while it is amusing
    It is still a circus we are watching
    Barnum and Bailey are the minds
    behind president Johnson
    You would not trust your life to a wolf or a tiger
    no matter how many tricks they can learn
    You would not turn your back on a cobra
    Even if it can dance
    Do not trust a honkie
    They are all of the same family
    The Black Liberation Front has free jobs to offer
    for those concerned about the unemployed
    The sisters need to make flags
    (there are no nations without a flag)
    The Red Black and Green must wave from all our
    buildings as we build our nation
    Even the winos have a