AHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Ok – so I still have Poetic Voices up and running and stuff – and been having something of a writers block (obviously – 14 entries in 8 months? oh my god. *L*) so I joined a poetry board and was hoping to get inspired… and so far so good – there is an AMAZING group of talented poets over at This so called life..

Anyway -they are a part of a group of workshop boards called the Poetry Board League, and they hold monthly contests for their members – individual boards can send in 1-3 poems for each contest, and compete against other writers/other boards for board of the year.

Well.

Guess who had a work nominated today? *BEEEEEEEEEEG GRIN*

Yes indeedy… ME! I am shocked, awed and stunned… and couldn’t be more pleased about it! I honestly feel that it’s

(common – you know it’s coming)

AN HONOR TO BE NOMINATED!!! Even if i don’t move on to the contest this month, knowing they felt my piece was good enough to be nominated is enough for me.

It was one of my slam pieces (should I ever discover the balls to participate in another slam) and I even recorded it so that they could hear it ‘preformed’.

So if you are curious what this Alaskan’s horrid voice sounds like – click here.
and below are the words of the nominated work….

Just like me
?eam 2002

The little box is labeled “race” and
I wonder what we are running to
Or maybe running from
They look at me funny while
I ponder the question,
Giving it the thought it deserves.

I guess I am white –
I certainly am
According to the color of skin
Blinding Alaskan tan
Pale as beached whale
Sometimes freckled and red
From the Midnight Sun

Of course, the freckles
Are from Irish stock
Though there’s a bit of
Everything else thrown in too
A regular Heinz 57
Crossed with hillbilly
That’s me.

The mind wanders then
As my mind so often does
To the first time I saw a black boy
I wondered if his skin
Tasted of chocolate
And if momma would skin me
For licking his cheek to see

Spice scented salt.
Just like me.

And then to the Native boy
The color of creamed coffee
I wondered if his skin
Would feel like suede
And if mom would freak
When I touched him (all over)
Just to see

Smooth satin soft
Just like me.

Then farther on
To the African-American man
Who had me for just one night
Holding my body captive
While ripping through me
Again and again
I wondered what mom would say
To see me slave to a man’s whims
As his ancestor’s once were to ours

He enjoyed the conquest.
Just like me.

And now, again, I stare
At the box named “race”
Where the answer is demanded
And with a smirk
I write in my own reply
A single word knowing –

You are all
Just like me.

Human.

(AAAAAAAAAAAH! they LIKE me! they REALLY REALLY LIKE me! *beams!*)