National Poetry Day was October 2nd but National Poetry Month is in April. World Poetry Day is March 21st. Oh, and Poet’s Day is August 21st. Haiku Poetry Day is April 17th. Confusing? Yes, but we all need more poetry in our lives. Poetry is a sacred connection to the divine.
“Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr. is a writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Nikki Giovanni was born in Tennessee to Yolande Cornelia, Sr. and Jones “Gus” Giovanni. She grew up in a suburb of Cincinnati and in 1960 began her studies at her grandfather’s alma mater, Fisk University. In 1967, she graduated with honors with a B.A. in History. Afterward she went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
In 1969 Giovanni began teaching at Rutgers University, and since 1987, she taught writing and literature at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor. She has received the NAACP Image Award several times, received twenty honorary doctorates, the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, and the Langston Hughes Award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters.” – Via Wikipedia
Greetings Gorgeous,
Happy National Poetry Day!
Poetry feeds the soul and I’m on a mission to pull it back into our consciousness. As a child of hip-hop and the daughter of poets, words from William Shakespeare to Nas to Dr. Maya Angelou have been my lifelong love and obsession.
Bask in the words of Nikki Giovanni’s Ego Trippin. “I am so hip that even my errors are correct.” This poem is a complete affirmation. I used to perform it back in the day. Remind yourself of that #SacredBombshell magic on a daily basis.
Drop the mic, Nikki. Thanks for making us believe.
#poetryday #sacredandthecity
Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)
I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad
I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
the tears from my birth pains
created the nile
I am a beautiful woman
I gazed on the forest and burned
out the sahara desert
with a packet of goat’s meat
and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
so swift you can’t catch me
For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son hannibal an elephant
He gave me rome for mother’s day
My strength flows ever on
My son noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
as we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was
jesus
men intone my loving name
All praises All praises
I am the one who would save
I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
the filings from my fingernails are
semi-precious jewels
On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew
My nose giving oil to the arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
the earth as I went
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission
I mean…I…can fly
like a bird in the sky…
-Nikki Giovanni
Watch…
If you can’t see the video above, click here.
- I have to confess, I know that the force of the famous comment made by Sojourner Trutit was brought on by ego tripping; “I will not die. I’ll just …fly away!” Sojourner truth was my Great Grandmother! How’s that for a little Ego Trippin…“…like a bird in the sky…” We have all grow, walked our own miles and dealt with our own sorrows and woes, I will say this…even so, to be equally yoked to the right hus-fit, my children had to be the seed of greatness and they are the Great Grandchildren of…none other than Marcus Garvey. My chikldren can say to the face of adversity, I have seen quite a few things, but I have never seen being down!“ Amen! Thank God. May God Bless You , All Always
Featured photo source. Alternate photo, Wikimedia Commons.
