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.
Loved it… Great rhythm!
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!
“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! 🙂
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!
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!
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
This is very impressive…just awesome!
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. 🙂
Thanks Janaki! So are you! 🙂
Glamour is not always glamorous! Loved your unique style of poetry.
http://sulekharawat.com/2012/04/13/roxys-triumph/
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
Thanks Sulekha! Very true indeed.
I’m humbled Andy. Thank you kind sir! 🙂
Ah, there’s a darkness behind the bright lights. Nice write, Tameka! <3
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.
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!