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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden

Post Number: 6702
Registered: 03-2004

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Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 01:25 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

So long, National Poetry Month of 2008

A city aint just concrete and stone
It aint material thangs alone
It's people knowing who they are and where they come from praying
shouting
singing playing writing striving
Soul and Spirit--those last

Those --and dat River City Dance

All up in the A to Z
Folk wit Odede Flava
Loc'd out St. Looie dudes
and dudettes goin crazy

Who each morning peeped, rising over the hills
Of East Boogie Belleville and beyond

The Sun

Glowing like a golden ankh
Shining on the jade green towers of Central High
Mad Cool--they cooed and sighed

And props to Vampure types who only spread
Their wings and flew like bats
When the sun sped West past Kansas City
Skittered and twittered high in the darkling sky
Twinkling twinkling little bats

People mind and body
Come on say "AMEN" somebody!

Eidolons Icons
Totemic magic in their very names

Say Annie Malone, Homer Phillips, Wendell Pruitt, Julia Davis
Say Mama Esther


Dig that flick of the black firefighter
Carrying the little white baby from the flames
Trying to save and revive her
Color struck lies shatter like glass
Say People Good people all the same

Not history but OURstory OURS!
And the people are like a sable background of black velvet
The stories glitterin on it like a billion billion
STARS

Stars like we all know they are

My Mamma and Daddy and all you got
Frankie and Johnnnie
Lawdy Miz Georgia and Dred Scott

The first brothers who came chained to the Frenchmen
A shame I can't call their names
(And if you don'tlike the weather here
Wait a minuite it'll change)

Doin' that River City Dance
At the Children's Home Parade

Aint that a scream
I almost forgot to
Give word ups and shoutzout
To Take Five Magazine

Afro American People doin dat River City Dance
All over in boardrooms and City Hall
The Art Museum Central Corridor and Forest Park

Dark people
Who have Big Shoulders
Show much brotherly luv
Who sleep light
And know whazzup

You can leave your heart here
(Tho it might be underneath a rock)
Dope River City got it A to Z
In raps songs and chants
In their call and response
And the give and take of Da Playa's Poetry Slams

Def Jammin people like Ole Man River
Big Muddy
Dissed and ignored
Brown and eternal like a blues tale sad and funny
Movin long slow
Down with the flow

St. Louis would not be the same place with out em
Earth shakin Hip quakin
Soft talkin believe
in EQUALIZING LIFE CHANCES FOR ALL PEOPLE peeples

Make ya feel good up in heah
Smoove as Cold Chillin on the Planet Mercury
These natives are friendly
Give them time they'll love you
though they'll never stop asking
What High School you go to?

Let me close my eyes and summon a vision of River City of the Future

I see

Straight bustin some pop and lock moves
Boogalooing down Broadway, Lindyhopping on the superhighway, groovin,
dancing ballet on Sarah and Finney, Ballin the Jack in Claymorgan AlleyCakewalking on Delmar, Gettin on the Goodfoot in Wright City, Shuffling along in Pine Lawn Kinloch, Meacham Park,
Rockin' your world in Webster Groves and Welston, Doing the mambo in St. Charles in Alton
Black feet on black streets got the beat in Compton Heights, Lindell Park
and Mill Creek, Struttin up Grand and Washington after Dark

Doin the Madison and the Charleston and the Hustle and the Slop
The twine and the jerk on the St. Louis Hop
As natchul born to the area as a St. Louis rollin stop
Or a pig snoot sammich with potato salad on top
No other city's name you can call
Like St. Louis where you know one citizen you know em all

Mound City Mashed Potatoes in Da House
Out of Time and Space
Da whole Town and da State and da world and da nation
Gittin Jiggy wit Doowhachawanna and saywhatchalike

Aaaa-iiiiight!
Steppin light fantastic and fast
Congratulate Celebrate
Dape each other up right foine and proppa
People good people

Doin that River City Dance




Chris Hayden

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