Lyric Fire: NaPoWriMo 2012 – Day 13 of 30 Poems in 30 Days – Before I Take The Mic

NaPoWriMo 2012 – 30 Poems in 30 Days – Day 13

Thirteen straight days of poetry! It’s been a joy, a challenge, a means to emotionally purge, pay homage, mourn and laugh. How sweet it is! I hope you enjoy my next piece:

 

Before I Take The Mic

 

i’m pacing

tracing

orange lines on coloring book pages

breathing in and out

slow

doing hand stands

the blood is rushing

texting

making sex plans

for after the show

i need a release

after i release

honey slides down my throat

tea drips down the cup

staining my jeans

gotta instagram that

tweet it out

see

i’m normal

but the pic

makes even my ordinary

larger than my life

 

before i take the mic

 

i argue

with my son’s father

i need to work

you knew what you signed up for

you like the perks

that escalade rides real good

you’ve never seen steaks that thick

i’m not seeing no one else

i gotta work

it’s work

selling dreams

for the price of admission

is labor intensive

i’m building worlds up there

mixing colors

throwing paint on pavements

turning dark to light

 

before i take the mic

 

my attorney is producing bail

i’m brushing my teeth with my finger

no paste

just spit

this aint glamorous

just life

my poetic life

my gift is in my throat

not my cerebellum

i don’t think

i don’t have to

i have 20 other people to do it for me

my glee lasts for two hours at a time

on stage

under hot lights

the stadium closes

i shut down

you don’t know what i have inside

you could never imagine

how hard i’ve had to fight

 

before i take the mic

 

For more delicious servings of poetry this month, please visit these bloggers as they are also participating in NaPoWriMo!

© 2012 – 2014, TamekaMullins. All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Apr 13, 2012 | Posted by in Blog, NaPoWriMo 2012, Tamstarz Poetry | 16 comments

Comments (16 Responses)

  1. Jessica says:

    Loved it… Great rhythm!

  2. I wish I could come up with words such as you and the other participants for the 30 days straight. I’m happy if I can pull out something once a year LOL. Loved this!

  3. “I’ve got rhythm, I’ve got rhythm!” Now that lyric is stuck in my head from some Broadway show. Thanks Jessica! 🙂
    LOL! Mary, you are hilarious. You write on your blog everyday. You are never at a loss for words. Thanks for the support and compliments though. Most appreciated! 🙂

  4. Wow! You painted someone’s entire life right before our eyes all in one poem! I certainly felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions here. Just amazing!
    Blessings, Tameka!

  5. Thanks Martha! It’s three lives! All intertwined and connected by their art and struggles. So glad you liked it. Be blessed and have a wonderful weekend!

  6. Leah says:

    This is visceral—your life flashes before you before you take that mic. Counting costs and paying everything. Blood, privacy, no IOU’s. You my dear spill it all out on that stage with that mic in your hand. This was amazing—like you. XOXO

  7. Janaki Nagaraj says:

    This is very impressive…just awesome!

  8. Yes Leah! Are you in my head or what? I was thinking some of those things as I wrote this piece. Thanks so much dear lady. Your words mean the world to me. You know I am in awe of your talent. 🙂

  9. Thanks Janaki! So are you! 🙂

  10. sulekha says:

    Glamour is not always glamorous! Loved your unique style of poetry.
    http://sulekharawat.com/2012/04/13/roxys-triumph/

  11. Andy says:

    Hello Tameka,
    You are just wowing me with this poem. I envision you whipping the audience into a frenzy with this little number! I’m awestruck by your creativity. Thanks for sharing.
    http://thoughtsofbeautyinthestillnessofdawn.blogspot.com/2012/04/day-1213-love-charity-and-poverty.html

  12. Thanks Sulekha! Very true indeed.

  13. I’m humbled Andy. Thank you kind sir! 🙂

  14. Adriene says:

    Ah, there’s a darkness behind the bright lights. Nice write, Tameka! <3

  15. Paige says:

    before i take the mike is powerful a tribute to self-expression, there is a cool cadence here
    and the repetition of before i take the mike gives this poem her heart.

  16. Thanks Sweepy! That darkness is what sometimes makes great art!
    Paige! Nice to meet you! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. I appreciate your kind words! Cheers!

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