Seduction

one day

you gonna walk in this house

and I’m gonna have on a long African

gown

you’ll sit down and say “The Black . . .”

and you’ll rap on about “The Revolution . . .”

while I rest your hand against my stomach

and I’ll be taking your dashiki off

then you’ll say “What we really need . . .”

then you’ll notice

your state of undress

and knowing you you’ll just say

“Nikki,

isn’t this counterrevolutionary . . .?”

Kidnap Poem

if I were a poet

I’d kidnap you

lyric you in lilacs

dash you in the rain

blend into the beach

to complement my see

play the lyre for you

wrap you in the red Black green

show you off to mama

yeah if I were a poet I’d kid

nap you

Mothers

the last time I was home

to see my mother we kissed

exchanged pleasantries

and unpleasantries pulled a warm

comforting silence around

us and read separate books

I remember the first time

I consciously saw her

I remember thinking: what a beautiful lady

she was very deliberately waiting

perhaps for my father to come home

from his night job or maybe for a dream

that had promised to come by

My House

I only want to

be there to kiss you

as you want to be kissed

when you need to be kissed

where I want to kiss you

cause it’s my house

and I plan to live in it

I’m saying it’s my house

and I’ll make fudge and call

it love and touch my lips

to the chocolate warmth

and smile at old men and call

that revolution cause what’s real

is really real

and this is my house and you make me

happy

so this is your poem

The Way I Feel

I’m as glad as mortar

on a brick that knows

another brick is coming

when you walk through

my door

most time when you’re around

I feel like a note

roberta flack is going to sing

Poetry Is a Trestle

sometimes we share a poem

because people are near

and they would notice me

noticing you

so I write X and you write O

and we both win

and I believe

the most beautiful poem

ever heard is your heart

racing

A Poem of Friendship

I don’t want to be near you

for the thoughts we share

but the words we never have

to speak

Love: Is a Human Condition

The night loves the stars as they play about the Darkness . . . the day loves the light caressing the sun . . . We love . . . those who do

. . . because we live in a world requiring light and Darkness . . . partnership and solitude . . . sameness and difference . . . the familiar and the unknown . . . We love because it’s the only true

adventure . . .

Resignation

I love you I love you I love you