My body is a torn mattress,
Disheveled throbbing place
For the comings and goings
Of loveless transients.
The whole of me
Is a unfinished room
Filled with dank breath
Escaping in gasp to nowhere.
Before completely objective mirrors
I have shot myself with my eyes,
But death refused my advances.
I have walked on my walks each night
Through strange landscapes in my head.
I have brushed my teeth with orange peel,
Iced with cold blood from the dripping faucets.
My face is covered with maps of dead nations;
My hair is lettered with frying ragweed.
Bitter raisins drip haphazardly from my nostrils
Wile schools of glowing minnows swim from my mouth.
The nipples of my breast are sun-browned cockleburrs;
Long-forgotten Indian tribes fight battles on my chest
Unaware of the sunken ships rotting in my stomach.
My legs are charred remains of burned cypress tress;
My feet are covered with moss from bayous, flowing across my floor.
I can’t go out anymore.
I shall sit on my ceiling.
Would you wear my eyes?
Reference:
Bob Kaufman
The purpose of our classroom service is to diversely strengthen the curriculum and needed pedagogy of licensed and pre-service teachers. This builds a foundation of superior education through understanding culturally responsive curriculums direct benefit from the content of African American Registry.
Street Team programs represent a crucial part of our goal of ‘Curriculum Reform and Giving Youth a Guided Voice’. We also require College students and/or community members to learn how to implement and carry on our program. That way we instill buy-in for each community to invest in themselves. If you would like more information or to create a Street Team in your community contact the Registry at 612-822-6831 or email us at info@aaregistry.org.
