Farah Lawal Harris 4/17/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/17/25

FRIENDS, FRIENDS, FRIENDS.

Friends,

how many of us have them

times when tragedy strikes

and the homie you expect

is nowhere in sight?

Farah Lawal Harris 4/16/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/16/25

THE SUNSHINE

Everybody loves the sunshine,

especially this baldie queen

straight outta chemotherapy

Farah Lawal Harris 4/15/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/15/25

AWARENESS (Poem)

I’m learning to stop comparing

the self I am today

with the self I was yesterday.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/14/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/14/25

HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THAT? (Poem)

On crisp breezy mornings,

the yawning branches speak to me.

They say, “Darling, you can do anything.“

Farah Lawal Harris 4/13/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/13/25

SWEET VICTORY

Beauty standards are not for anyone’s protection,

nor are smiles because you’re supposed to be polite.

It is a losing strategy to be polite.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/12/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/12/25

I WAS THE SEÑORITA (Poem)

One day when I was walking,

walking to the fair,

I ran into some trauma,

almost took me out of here.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/11/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/11/25

DARK-SKINNED 80s BABY (Poem)

I felt blessed to see Alex Wek

til’ her blue-black shine

was compared to mine.

Middle schoolers must be crazy.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/10/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/10/25

BEHOLD WHAT I LEAVE BEHIND (Poem)

By the time my cocoa-colored compassionate soul clashes

with God’s marshmallow skies,

chocolate-covered steam

will rise and shine

Farah Lawal Harris 4/9/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/9/25

ZZZZZZ ZZZZZZ BUZZING (Poem)

Zzzzzz zzzzzz buzzing,

the 1 am “Hey big head” texts from tempting ex-boyfriends threatening abstinence.

“It takes consistency to be with me,” they say,

then pray the Rose of Sharon won’t mind

Farah Lawal Harris 4/8/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/8/25

SAFETY GHAZAL

My heroes are negroes older and blacker than me.

Fermented melanin plus God is medicine. We still safe.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/7/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/7/25

WHY I AM NOT A HIP-HOP SONG (Poem)

And frankly, I’m tired

of being “hard as hell” like LL,

would hate to get shot like 2Pac,

and I’m way too private

to yap about my WAP.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/6/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/6/25

WATERMELON DAY (Poem)

The textured, soft blood-colored juice is a reprieve from the mocking we’ve received. We throw away stereotypes like rinds. Leave that mess for the flies.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/5/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/5/25

A HYMN FOR ROSES (Poem)

Me, as beautiful as I am,

ain’t nothing but trouble.

I pour out libations through tears,

call on Ancestors to prune fears,

chase illness away with my prayers

Farah Lawal Harris 4/4/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/4/25

LIVING WITH 3 RASTA MEN (Poem)

“Dreadlock no live in a tenement yard,”

and they no longer stay on the same redlined street

where an old Karen drove past me, mouth agape,

asking sharply:

“You’re moving?”

Farah Lawal Harris 4/3/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/3/25

I AM A POET BECAUSE

It’s lonely as hell here.

Words don’t just

up and abandon you

the way people do.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/2/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/2/25

DEAR CORY (Poem)

Sir,

I admit that I joked more than twice

that you only have two facial expressions:

surprised and resigned.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/1/25 Farah Lawal Harris 4/1/25

WE ALL SING DOWN HERE (Poem)

We all sing down here—

sing the praises of the rich

and memories of being poor.

This drame lyrique has no beat

Farah Lawal Harris 5/1/24 Farah Lawal Harris 5/1/24

BACKSLIDER (Poem)

I don’t wanna worship with my oppressors—

prey praying hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder

with one eye open.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/30/24 Farah Lawal Harris 4/30/24

WATERMELON SEEDS (Poem)

Have you heard of

the girl who swallowed fifty black watermelon seeds?

In 9 months, she birthed sugar babies.

Farah Lawal Harris 4/29/24 Farah Lawal Harris 4/29/24

INTELLIGENT STUPIDITY (Poem)

inside kid, clandestine friendships,

advanced academic attention magnet,

stunning and didn’t know it,