This week's Poet of the People is Monifa Lemons. Before there were titles for poets there was Monifa - one name, no title, was enough. She personifies what it means to be a poet: gracious, mentoring, talented, and selfless. To know Monifa is to experience poetry in and of the Kakalak. I am honored to call her friend.
Monifa Lemons, also recognized as SelahthePoet, began her poetic journey in Columbia, SC in the late 90s, both as a Spoken Word Artist and as a host at various venues. Her work can be found in various publications. She is currently an elementary school teacher, and a facilitator with USC Trio Upward Bound. Her focus is on creative writing and intentional creation with children and community. She is also following her entrepreneurial dreams as Coffee Roaster and Co-Owner at Haiku Coffee 575, a company she opened in Fall 2020 along with her four daughters and has returned to her original art of acting, playing the principal role of Mama in the short film Crooked Trees Gon' Give Me Wings, Directed by Cara Lawson and Produced by Hillman Grad Productions.
After Dogon Krigga
Bouncing lateral
On wind cutting our eyes
At revelations
B Boys spinning like
Dreidels on pointe listening
To scratched petals bloom
No blinking allowed
Instead, a creation stare
Calloused eyes don’t crack
Letter from my Grandmother
Monisa,
it’s still da same. Dem chickens still gotta be fed, even pass dat rooster. You still gotta wake earlier when youra mothuh. You still gotta find dem chaps a home. You still gotta find a job. a real one. You still gotta stir grits, even if you raisin’ chillen that don’t want em. You still gotta do all of it. Ain’t nobody gon’ cayit forya. You still need a car. You shouldn’t be afraida da walk. You still gotta carry da wood in e’en when there ain’t no stove. You gotta wash. He’s still your uncle an’der was nothin’ we could do. You still gotta learn’na sat here an’ stay. Here. Wit’ us. You know howta make dat nana puddin’? Den you gotta teach’em. Still.
Moon Cycle
I pinch tissue between first second and thumb
Wrap the roll like gauze over and over. Hand
Slide off palm. Fold in half. Reach between legs. Shove cover.
The hole He hallowed. Seeping. Cursed.
With standing we adjust. Loose.
Plugged crazy. Gathered insane. Stuffed.
Granules of sugar in my spoon. Stirred.
Echoes muffled. Hope absorbed. Picked by cotton.
I now walk in the room.
Water Beckons
Water beckons. Step by step I fill
myself. Up my legs. Down my hands.
slap. splash and play.
Wash me
River. Wash me whole.
Twirl my spirit til I know knot.
Cleanse me. Send a smile down.
Stream it tickling past the legs of another.
Call them out
to wade. Join us…
within the wade.
You Look good
You look good. You look good. Yeah good.
You look good. What are you doing now?
What are you doing? You look good.
You look good. What have you been doing?
What.
What have you not been doing? What were you not doing?
When did you care? When did you care about looking good?
When you do that, you look good.
Look.
Look, you are good. You are good. When did you start to care.
When did you start to care about looking? You look like you care.
About looking good, you look like you care.
You care now. We see that. We can see that you now care about
your look.
See. Look. at What. Care.
Care.
You care now. You now care. Care has been taken in your look.
Now.
What could you be doing? What have you done?
You care. We'll care now. To look at you.
We care to look at you. You look good.
Now.