History is wonderful. We have so much we can learn if we would quit making ideology out of history, and just deal with what happened… - Nikki Giovanni

if trees could talk
wonder what they'd say
met an old man
...told me "girl! my hands seen
more than all
them books...
at tuskeegee"
...met an old woman
..."sista" she called to me
"...my feet
seen more than yo eyes
ever gonna read"
...if trees would talk
wonder what they'd tell me

Poets shouldn't commit suicide. That would leave the world to those without imaginations or hearts. That would bequeath to the world a mangled syntax and no love of champagne. Poets must live in misery and ecstasy, to sing a song with the katydids. Poets should be ashamed to die before they kiss the sun.

We need food for the Soul We need poetry ... We deserve poetry