Nikki Giovanni will be reading tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the LoDo Tattered Cover. Afterward, I'm honored to be hosting a little reception for her (I'll post pictures). Since we've been talking about poetry lately and in honor of Ms. Giovanni's appearance, I thought I'd post this poem she wrote for Nina Simone:
The Genie in the Jar
take a note and spin it around spin it around don't
prick your finger
take a note and spin it around
on the Black loom on the Black loom
careful baby
don't prick your finger
take the air and weave the sky
around the Black loom around the Black loom
make the sky sing a Black song sing a blue song
sing my song make the sky sing a Black song
from the Black loom from the Black loom
careful baby
don't prick your finger
take the genie and put her in a jar
put her in a jar
wrap the sky around her
take the genie and put her in a jar
wrap the sky around her
listen to her sing
sing a Black song our Black song
from the Black loom
singing to me
from the Black loom
careful baby
don't prick your finger
From The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni 1968-1998 (which features a fascinating discussion between Giovanni and Jill Scott)
2 comments:
I love Nikki Giovanni. And Nina Simone. Jill Scott too. Great poem. Never read it before, so thanks for sharing. :-)
Sad to say, I forgot my camera last night!!
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