"ishmael reed" written may/01
one of my favorites b/c he's one of my favorites

ishmael reed u look like rev sittin there like that on those
porch steps. just as very beautiful as very blk men can
be so sumtimes ur eyes tell me stories ive heard before, but
just recently remembered, i cant believe how very much you
favour my granddaddy to me, maybe its b/c u both have those
lips that thicken as soon as ur ready to touch em, & i wld allow
u to write me & erase me & pencil me in ur schedule when
u have time to fit me in ur quotations, amongst ur pauses, when
u rest & i offer u that drink of water w/ a grin & a little
perspiration

between these breasts, wipin ur brow w/ my apron brushin against ur
nappy nappy hairline grey silver grass hedges neva trimmed u look
like rev finishin off that last glass ur beautiful when ur
solemn, silent, solid, i wont even patronize u by callin u a king
or a god or a saint, but instead sir since blk men dont hear that
too much sir mister man blk ishmael, ur fingers prolly feel like embers
in the winter, since spring, summer, and fall are so much of the same
thing.
i wunda if eva we made love wld ur wurds peel themselves frum their
pages,

slowly becoming visible on my skin seeing, shouting, screaming
so loud, so loud, so loud, the wurld wld know we versed.