POEM OF THE DAY -- "Nikki-Rosa" by Nikki Giovanni

The poetry of Nikki Giovanni has always interested me.  A prominent and respected african-american poet, Giovanni's poetry evokes very strong racial pride and delivers a sense of family that only her poetry can convey. 

Although a white person like myself can never pretend to understand what it is like to be black, Nikki's poetry is written in such a way that I feel different while I'm reading it.

A beautiful experience, really.

Most of her most famous works of poetry were published during the late 1960's and early 1970's -- a time in which admittedly she must have shown great bravery and relied on her inner strength and resolve to write and publish her poems.

Here is one of my favorites, and it clearly shows her beautiful respect for family.  

Enjoy.

Nikki-Rosa

By Nikki Giovanni

 

childhood remembrances are always a drag   

if you’re Black

you always remember things like living in Woodlawn   

with no inside toilet

and if you become famous or something

they never talk about how happy you were to have   

your mother

all to yourself and

how good the water felt when you got your bath   

from one of those

big tubs that folk in chicago barbecue in   

and somehow when you talk about home   

it never gets across how much you

understood their feelings

as the whole family attended meetings about Hollydale

and even though you remember

your biographers never understand

your father’s pain as he sells his stock   

and another dream goes

And though you’re poor it isn’t poverty that

concerns you

and though they fought a lot

it isn’t your father’s drinking that makes any difference   

but only that everybody is together and you

and your sister have happy birthdays and very good   

Christmases

and I really hope no white person ever has cause   

to write about me

because they never understand

Black love is Black wealth and they’ll

probably talk about my hard childhood

and never understand that

all the while I was quite happy 

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