This poem is from “Black Feelings Black Talk.” Also performed on Nikki’s spoken word album “The Way I Feel.”

Seduction

One day

you gonna walk in this house

and i’m gonna have on a long African

gown

you’ll sit down and say “The Black . . .”

and i’m gonna take one arm out

then you—not noticing me at all—will say “What about

this brother . . .”

and i’m going to be slipping it over my head

and you’ll rap on about the “The revolution . . .”

while i rest your hand against my stomach

you’ll go on—as you always do—saying

“I just can’t dig . . .”

while i’m moving your hand up and down

and i’ll be taking your dashiki off

then you’ll say “What we really need . . .”

and i’ll be licking your arm

and “The way I see it we ought to . . .”

and unbuckling your pants

“And what about the situation . . .”

and taking your shorts off

then you’ll notice

your state of undress

and knowing you you’ll just say

“Nikki,

isn’t this counterrevolutionary . . .?”

Although never a member of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was an influential presence in Nikki Giovanni's unapologetic Black Revolutionary Poetry.

Black Power 

(For All The Beautiful Black Panthers East)

But the whole thing is a miracle---See?

We were just standing there

talking—not touching or smoking

Pot

When this cop told

Tyrone

Move along buddy—take your whores

outa here

And this tremendous growl

From out of nowhere

Pounced on him

Nobody to this very day

Can explain

How it happened

And none of the zoos or circuses

Within fifty miles

Had reported

a panther

missing

Annoyed of hearing talk about dying for our rights. Nikki believed that dying wasn’t the hardest to do. She thought it was harder to kill for your rights. This poem is an act of protest against that attitude.

Peppe is the nickname of Nikki Giovanni’s nephew.

The True Import of Present Dialogue,

Black Vs. Negro

(For Peppe, Who Will Ultimately Judge Our Efforts)

Nigger

Can you kill

Can you kill

Can a nigger kill a honkie

Can a nigger kill the Man

Can you kill nigger

Huh? nigger can you

kill

Do you know how to draw blood

Can you poison

Can you stab-a-jew

Can you kill huh? nigger

Can you kill

Can you run a protestant down with your

‘68 El Dorado

(that’s all they’re good for anyway)

Can you kill

Can you piss on a blond head

Can you cut it off

Can you kill

A nigger can die

We ain’t got to prove we can die

We got to prove we can kill

They sent us to kill

Japan and Africa

We policed europe

Can you kill

Can you kill a white man

Can you kill the nigger

in you

Can you make your nigger mind

die

Can you kill your nigger mind

And free your black hands to

strangle

Can you kill

Can a nigger kill

Can you shoot straight and

Fire for good measure

Can you splatter their brains in the street

Can you kill them

Can you lure them to bed to kill them

We kill in Viet Nam

for them

We kill for UN & NATO & SEATO & US

And everywhere for all alphabet but

BLACK

Can we learn to kill WHITE for BLACK

Learn to kill niggers

Learn to be Black men

HAPPY NATIONAL NATIVE PLANT MONTH

Record Your Plants Progress

HOUSE PLANT LOG BOOKS 

HOUSE PLANT JOURNALS

Available @ Amazon

PLANT MAMA

PLANT DADDY 

From Nikki Giovanni’s first self-published volume of poetry entitled “Black Feeling Black Talk.” Published in 1968 during a tremulous time. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., riots, and protests.

Poem

(No Name No.2)

Bitter Black Bitterness

Black Bitter Bitterness

Bitterness Black Brothers

Bitter Black Get

Blacker Get Bitter

Get Black Bitterness

NOW

From Nikki Giovanni's first self-published volume of of poetry “Black Feeling Black Talk.”

Barbara Crosby was a mutual friend of both Nikki and her sister, Gary. She was active in the Civil Rights Movement and also a member of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee).

A Historical Footnote To Consider

Only When All Else Fails

(For Barbara Crosby)

while it is true

(though only in a factual sense)

That in the wake of a

Her-I-can comes a

Shower

Surely I am not

The gravitating force

that keeps this house

full of panthers

Why, LBJ has made it

quite clear to me

He doesn’t give a

Good goddamn what I think

(else why would he continue to masterbate in public?)

Rhythm and Blues is not

The downfall of a great civilization

And I expect you to

Realize

That the Temptations

have no connection with

The CIA

We must move on to

the true issues of

Our time

like the mini-skirt

Rebellion

And perhaps take a

Closer look at

Flour Power

It is for Us

to lead our people

out of the

Wein-Bars

into the streets

into the streets

(for safety reasons only)

Lord knows we don’t

Want to lose the

support

of our Jewish friends

So let us work

for our day of Presence

When Stokely is in

The Black House

And all will be right with

Our world 

April Is National Poetry Month! 

30 days of Black Feelings, Black Talk, Black Thoughts, Black Judgements.

In the past, I have spotlighted various Black Poets, Paid homage to the Beginning, "Year of Genesis: Testaments, Prayers, Gospels, Psalms, or just in simple layperson's terms, poetry written by 18th century free and enslaved poets." Honored Langston Hughes. Featured the Revolutionary Poetry of the Brothers and Sisters of The Black Panther Party and their affiliates with "The Year of The Big Black Cat."

 

I started reading Langston Hughes at seven years of age, not long after, I discovered this poet. Influential, World Renown, Literary Icon, BAM Poet, Writer, Bestselling Author, Essayist, Civil Rights Activist, NAACP Image Award Recipient, Recording Artist. Accolades flow forever on.

 

This Poet has played an integral part to my being, inciting the ProBlackness in me. 

 Black, Dope, Real, Ethereal, Surreal. Fly like the bird in the sky.

Welcome to the Year of Nikki-Rosa