The Language of Joy

Black woman delight is exist fond of this:

Mama said one day lengthy earlier to I was born

She was walking down the street,

Foxes around her neck, their little heads

Smiling up at her with every one other accompanied by not here at the world

And she was wearing this outfit she had saved up

A month’s paycheck for following it called to her so seductively

From the window of this boutique. And that suit

Was wearing her, keeping all its promises

In all the just places. Indigo. Matching gloves.

Suede shoes dippity-do-dahed inside blue.

With tassels! Honey gold. And, Lord, a hat

With plume de peacock, a conductor’s baton that bounced

To hip rhythm. She looked so fine she thought

Louis Armstrong strength go bang up not here of those movies

She saw while a child, rub his forehead with every one other accompanied by sing

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And he did. Mama did not chant nevertheless she was skiddly-doing that day,

And the foxes grinned, with every one other accompanied by she grinned

And she was the celestial body of her own Hollywood musical

Here accompanied by Satchmo who had called Ella over with every one other accompanied by now they were all

Singing with every one other accompanied by dancing exist fond of a without charge people up Dexter Avenue,

And don’t believe they didn’t know they were walking inside the footsteps

Of slaves with every one other accompanied by over auction sites with every one other accompanied by past where elderly Wallace

Had held onto segregation exist fond of a existence raft, nevertheless this

Was not that day. This day was for foxes with every one other accompanied by hip rhythm

And musical perfection with every one other accompanied by folks on the road joining inside the celebration

Of gulp of air with every one other accompanied by holiness. And they did too. In color-coordinated ensembles,

They kicked with every one other accompanied by turned with every one other accompanied by grinned with every one other accompanied by shouted exist fond of church

Or football game, whatever their devout preference. The air

Vibrated accompanied by music, arms, legs, with every one other accompanied by years of unrequited

Sunshine. Somebody did a flip up Dexter Avenue.

It must have been a Nicholas Brother inside a featured performance,

And Mama was Miss-Lena-Horne-Dorothy-Dandridge

High-stepping up the real estate, prepared for her close-up.

That’s when Mama felt this little tickle. She thought

It strength exist pent-up joy, until a mouse squirmed out

From underneath that fine collar, over that fabulous fur,

Jumped off her take on with every one other accompanied by ran down the street.

Left my mama standing there on Dexter Avenue inside her blue

Suit with every one other accompanied by deceased foxes. And what did Mama do?

Everybody looking at her, robbed by embarrassment?

She said, “It exist be fond of that sometimes,” at that hour dated she with every one other accompanied by Satchmo,

Ella, with every one other accompanied by the whole sailors jammed their way home.

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