It's My Face

My father thinks I love my black too much
Friends say I'm not black enough
White students told me I was not
like those blacks
Black students wondered
why I lived
the other side of the tracks

My sister put my hair in cornrow
My father yelled, fuck no
A part down the side
That's a respectable boy
Your name is not Troy or LeRoi

They stopped me on the street
to ask which parent was white
LA knew
I must be part Korean or Indian
Paris anointed me
French and even Mongolian
Are you Arab? Muslim?
I thought you were Dominican, says NY
My ex, she said, you know,
you could pass for Puerto Rican

Which part of Africa are you from,
asked the African man who sat
next to me on the train as
we rode through Italy

They're still guessing,
asking,
wanting to know

I think there's a Pacific Islander thing about your face
We're intrigued we can't figure out your race
Every possible combination flies out of their mouth

I think you're just a little black, if at all
No, you're just a black boy from the south

They see what they see
And that's okay
They need a box, a bag
A solid check mark on a form

But
I will tell you this
I walk pridefully
I don't need a sewn on badge
Because I know
I'm a Bago Trini

Brother

Through thick and thin
Me & you, my better twin
The skinny and fat
years
Fights and fun, laugh tears
Shakey's pizza, soccer
Fishing, tennis camp
Summers in Toronto
Caracas travel stamp

Arcola library
My paper route
Your paper route
Our crushes, first cars
College, frat
Georgetown bars

We worked and worked
Remember that second job
we both had at night
that would never end
Was it telemarketing

Well, life got serious
We drifted apart
And we could never
find our way back
to that new start

But you've been with me
Everywhere I went
You who moves like Superman
While me, Clark Kent

I'm so blessed today
Dear God, I win
I have my brother
yes, again

For Christmas

All I want for Christmas
is ham baking,
pastelles making,
poncha creme,
and the smell of sorrel boiling
on the stove.

All I want for Christmas
is sweet bread, holiday cookies,
drunk black cake,
and butter bread by the loaves.

All I want for Christmas
is children playing,
family praying,
eating, drinking, laughing,
and rejoicing.

What I want
is peace
between husband and wife,
and brother and sister.
Neighbors behaving
Young and old respecting
each other, and the earth.

I want all to have good health;
the honor to reach old age,
and the blessing to afford it.

I want leaders to lead
Teachers to teach
Students passionate-about something
People to speak their truth,
live their best life,
and know their heart's desire.

I want the world
to renew its contract with kindness.
Please
I'm Sorry
Excuse Me
Thank You

This Christmas
give me a song of joy
to lift the heart
of every girl and boy.

All I want
is to be home
because there's no place like home,
home, home.

While you line the cupboard shelves
Wait for Santa and his elves
Celebrate the birth of Christ
Forgive yourself
Live in gratitude, faith
Love
and dream, dream
bigger than you know.

That's all I want.

Wait,
dat ain't all.
I want a wifey
and an old year's night date.
And a Stag right now
Yuh hearing me?

SEX TALK

I wanna talk to you about s-e-x
Sex
Sex
is one of the greatest acts of your life
It got you here
by a pair
of freak monsters
You may prefer to call them
Mummy and Daddy

But here you are
breathing, thinking,
moving about in the world because of it
And now you want it too
all the damn time

Are you sure?
It changes your life forever
Forever
[you know that apple thing]

And when you’re in it,
you know in it
Watch out
Because it seems

When we have it
Where we have it
How we have it
How it’s had upon us
Why we have it
How we struggle with
holding onto it or not
Who we tell or don’t tell
If we’re having it or not having it
Why we’re not having it
And when we had it last

Is everybody’s fucking business
Or so it seems

Well,
let me just say this
If you’re gonna have it,
and you're gonna have it
be careful about it
Near-misses
Infections
Disease
Death it brings
Sorrow, anger
Pain, a sheet stain
OK let's look on the bright side
Also joy, fantasy
Fun and ecstasy
It brings life
which is a gift
It brought you her
and you're a gift

Sometimes we’ve had enough
Or so we tell ourselves
Until we get it, and
We’re addicted all over again
We possess and obsess about it
Chase it daily
We want it all the time
or is that just men?

You know, what they say right
men think about it every 7 seconds
and women have like 7 orgasms everyday at work
or maybe that's just a woman I know
so who's really having more fun
men or women

7 secs
You know,
I’m thinking about it now
As I read this poem to you
And you’re either wanting it,
or not wanting it, too
And maybe you’re thinking about me and you
Or not
I’m cool with that

hmm sex
It creates a bond
Tears us apart
Exposes us
Makes us feel powerful
Surprises, shocks
Takes and gives
It makes us run away
And stay around
It finds us lost
And it’s like we’re found
(Exhale) ya got a cigarette

It has us questioning everything else
Makes us think of nothing more
Brings us shame
And glory
Gives us a story
A truth and a lie
An alibi

It’s dirty and nasty
Soft and demure
It’s a trade, profession
[Tobago summer boys, Tobago summer boys]
A duty, a chore

It has us on an endless search
And makes us say I do
It keeps us up late at night
And puts us fast to sleep

We sometimes wonder, can’t it get any better
Or why it’s so damn sweet
We want it with others
And ourselves
We’re not always discreet

On the bed, in the car
At your granny's house
In the shop, on the bus, in the park
Some like it in the light
Some, only in the dark

Others want you to watch them
On their webcam [you gotta pay]
Or from their window [uh uh you gonna pay]

We love to hear others are getting it
We hate to hear that too
And when you don’t talk about it
We wanna know…what you do

Man, I choke d chicken
What else, shhh

We wanna know for sure
If you like girls
or boys
or girls and boys
or boys and boys
or girls and girls
or boy-girls and trans girls
and bi girls
Do you want it strange
Or normal noise
With costumes and toys

I gotta question
No judgment, no judgment
How come more straight men
are getting their butts licked?
Erogenous? Erogenous
hmm must be the porn in my inbox

Sex tells us who we are
And says nothing at all
A noun, adjective, a verb
Sex, sexy, sexting
We confuse it
for other things
Take it for granted
Expect a ring
Have it rough
Play it sweet
Be an ape
All hands and feet

With sex we play
You know what we play
The power card
The make-up card
The trap you card
The like you card
The hate you card
The get back at your best friend card
The I’m feeling depressed card
The high card
I’m horny as hell card
I’m bored as fuck card
I don’t even need a card I just want it card

Cards
Ain't you tired of playing cards

What about love
What about that

content [adj]

I wish
I had more time

I wish
I didn't wish
for things not mine

I dream
I no longer dream
for another life

This one
keeps me
occupied

After Noon

She wants to know what I'm doing
Doing
I'm not doing anything
We're both doing nothing

I'm moving, she's moving
around the house
We're busy
looking for something to do

Come, let's watch TV

She lays across the bed
Her head rests on two pillows
Feet stretched in striped socks,
each toe pushing a color

I have the remotes
One for the screen and
one for the cable box
I'm flipping through
She doesn't know what she wants
to watch, just anything will do
She's happy for the company

She sits up

Do you want cover?
Do you want me to turn on the air conditioner?
Is it too much light for you?
Do you want a drink?

No.
She lays back down

She wants to take care of me
She can't help it
She's done it her whole life

Sammy

I have a friend,

he's little,

he sits in my lap.

English is not his first language

Sometimes he understands me

At times I understand him

We are learning

He doesn't smoke or cuss, but

barks, it's worse than his bite.

He kindly lets me pass first,

and prefers to walk behind me.

I seem to always forget his custom,

at the door, we politely do a dance.

In his culture he doesn't really hug,

shake hands or kiss,

he licks

many, many times.

He would play all day

if I let him.

I would tell stories endlessly

if he listened.

Eventually one of us walks away,

except in a game of stare-me-down.

Sometimes he blinks first,

other times I lose.

He's fierce.

I call him Sammy

I don't know if

he had another name

before I knew him.

He was growing already

when we met.

I think he's starting to like this one

I love how his ears

flap back

when he runs to me.

I call him again to see,

Sammy.

He's eight weeks old,

wiser than his tender puppy age.

He refuses to let me train him

without teaching me as well.

He proudly sticks out

his little boy chest,

and prances.

He obeys

but knows he doesn't

always have to.

Mister Smelly Belly

Prince of Pee and Poo

Stinker

Little Rascal

Big Boy Cuddles Wants to Play All Day

Leave My Shoe, Leave My Shoe

He auditions for a nickname.

But Sammy will do

just fine.

I hope he's my friend

for a long time.

Monday, again

The sky pelts raindrops at the galvanized roof

One right after the other

His voice early this morning sets my face

I close my eyes and lay still

Is she well, will she eat, what will she eat

Will she live past one more scream

Better than having nothing

Quiet is a woman in a black shroud

A spoon clanks against a cup

It's the blue one, I'm sure

He's making tea, one for her too please

A whistling sparrow lost in flight

Her mumbles to him fall faint at my closed door

….

Nothing now but mute shouts

I think it's safe