Hey, y’all. Today’s National Poetry Month is to write a poem that reproduces a phrase with the first words of each line.

The phrase I chose was from Saul Williams’ poem, “Sha Clack Clack”:

“I overcame it, so they named me after it.”

Here’s my poem:

Day 6 - HOPE AND ME

By Farah Lawal Harris

I believe she wanted to make love, but Hope got f*cked and

Overcame. Fast. Hope was mad she gave it up to Over so fast. (And no,

it didn’t go how they showed on Skinemax).

So Hope, reclaiming control, become a self-proclaimed hoe and—No,

they didn’t know why she still smiled while they teased;

named her “Thot” while she thought of a plot to pluck

me. Hope sexy, so naturally, we smashed.

After that, I became the Love she wanted to make. And no,

it ain’t afterglow. It’s fate.