For Colored Girls

my mom
my sister
me
my nine year old niece
we were there
in line for the 12:50 show
long beach
to see the movie

i saw the play
too long ago
wonder what tyler gon do
what he think he know about
ntozake shange
one of my favorite poets

we walk in and theatre filled
black women
young girls
hip chicks
colored girls

zayikah was there with her daughter kashima
we reach through locks
hug necks and see ourselves
in each others gray temples

i was there up on that screen
i am those issues
those fears
i am that beauty
that fire

that eagerness to love
that rock around my heart

that mouth
that shut up oh please shut up mouth

that silence
that speak up oh say something right now silence

i sat there
no popcorn no soda
closed my eyes
when he dropped the babies

i know that dedication to foolishness
gave him excuses he never deserved
i got them shoulders too
them carry the world shoulders
always gotta mama somebody

got that forgive him
take him back too many times
no good
dont trust myself enough

that was me up there
takin myself back
letting him go
him go
him go
reconnecting myself to myself
myself to myself

we clap during the credits
when we hear nina simone sing
i wear all the colors
as i step into the restroom
hear colored girls confess their issues
black women
long line
we dont mind

all colored girls
we ask each other
how you like the movie
the movie
we dont ask what movie

the movie
we all know

we are those colored girls
reconnecting ourselves to ourselves
ourselves to each other
ourselves to ourselves