Cornbread and collard greens, pinto beans and dirty rice


dressing – not stuffing 


between brown turkey thighs


Holidays at grandmama's – reunions and cookouts 


friends and kinfolk kickin it hard - watching kids run thru the park


Tag, horse shoes, double dutch and hide 'n seek 


barbecue and fish frys fill nasal cavities 


and we played outside til the street lights came on.


Kung fu theatre and Saturday morning cartoons 


hiding those damn orange hot wheels racing tracks 


that served as belts when we'd act a fool


Grape icy cups from the candy lady and a fifty cent pickle 


and snow cones from the ice cream truck kept us cool in the Memphis sun


playin four square with the Asian kids 


and four way twee-lee-lee with the sistas at lunch


Making up dance steps to old 45's 


grooving in front of console tv's with Don Cornelius conducting soul vibes.


Afro-puffs and moon boots with corduroys 


the first day of second grade 


meeting my sister for the first time on the playground 


cuz we found our daddies were the same


We mourned the death of disco and dance fever 


the birth of rap and hip hop made us celebrate…


so we went on back to grandmama's and had some…..


Cornbread and collard greens, pinto beans and dirty rice, 


and some DRESSIN' – not stuffing 


between those brown turkey thighs