Narcissa+Haskins

" Poetry is above all a concentration of the power of language, which is the power of our ultimate relationship to everything in the universe" -Adrienne Rich  Statement My poetry is a mirror expression my personality. It show’s my pain, my struggles, and how I feel about life it self. My ode talks about how I feel about the sun. The good and bad it does to me, and the people in my surroundings. The sun is a powerful thing that people on this earth I believe take for granted. We love it when its winter, yet in the summer time we curse the greatest thing about it. My praise poem expresses the pain that i my father has put me through. It shows that i never truly forgiven him for the pain he caused in my life. Lastley, my riff poem and my sonnet express my thought and feelings about realationships and trying to be myself.

 Ode to the sun You reside in the sky away from us all You light up my world everyday with out fail You warm my planet You express the value of your greatest gift on the equator

You are the blame for my sweat You constantly make me over heat and dehydrate You are the cause of many peoples skin cancer

And yet, You make the water glisten You make the my favorite flowers bloom You help change the color of the tree leaves in Autumn You allow nature to show the beauty that seems mysteriously hidden  It started with life- birth to a girl who would amaze the world Mom was great Father was there, yet he was invisible There was no more mom and dad Dad caused mom more pain because she couldn't handle his actions
 * Praise Poem** - Daddy

I found out the about his actions when I turned 10; Couldn't look at him the same way again He tried to deny that I was his I refused to talk to him When his sister's spoke his name It made my flowing blood boil and curdle throughout my arteries and veins To think that he had the audacity to speak to me Made even me want to jump a hurdle

Now today, he's trying to make his way in my life Even though, still doing wrong I know he feels like he doesn't belong I want him to know that he can never make up for lost time because to me he isn't even worth more than a dime.

**Sonnet ** - Me and You This is a poem about me and you I'm walking down the street to my baby I'm thinking about what is on his mind He looks at me with all sincerity Then he starts acting like a little child I start to reminisce about those times The times when you treated me like a dime This is a poem about me and you Thinking about the things we used to do Then looking at your face I stare and say How did I become attracted to you Is it the money that did it for me Or was it the fake and quiet mystery I know there was never a me and you  Riff Poem : Poet: Jill Scott--> "The me that is confident and intelligent and filled to the brim with respect" It seems like time doesn't wait for me The me that is confident and intelligent and filled to the brim with respect Sometimes I cant seem to connect Connect with my friends and family I think its simply because of who I am I tend to believe the life is the greatest scam So time is never on my side

Poets.org Poet Analysis Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni has been called the “priestess of black poetry”. She considers herself a poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. She has been in the public eye over the past 40 years. Nikki Giovanni is a strong voice for the black community and prides herself on fighting for civil rights and equality. She has been fighting injustice in her own way and was expelled from Fisk University as a young student because she did not agree with the views of the Dean of Women. Her poems focus on love, sex, anger, grief, race, politics, violence and the plight of Black America. She is respected by the many generations and a real force on the modern poetry scene. Her poetry is known for embracing the theme of love, and she uses the joy and pain of loving to get her point across to the reader. She wants the world to know that black people are rich because we know how to love.

Poem Analysis Balances in life one is always balancing like we juggle our mothers against our fathers or one teacher against another (only to balance our grade average) 3 grains of salt to one ounce truth our sweet black essence or the funky honkies down the street and lately I've begun wondering if you re trying to tell me something we used to talk all night and do things alone together and i've begun (as a reaction to a feeling) to balance the pleasure of loneliness against the pain of loving you This poem is a reflection of the way a person balances throughout an entire life. The way individuals balance family, school, community, and love is expressed. The ultimate choice of refusing to continue in a relationship that throws the individual off balance is the final thought. Poem Analysis DREAMS in my younger years before i learned black people aren’t suppose to dream i wanted to be a raelet and say “dr o wn d in my youn tears” or “tal kin bout tal kin bout” or marjorie hendricks and grind all up against the mic and scream baaaaaby nightandday baaaaaby nightandday” then as i grew and matured i became more sensible and decided i would settle down and just become a sweet inspiration This poem expresses the freedom of dreaming as a young black child. Then, the reality of life as a black child interrupts those dreams. The fact that young black children dream, often have dreams squashed, and then, make their own choice in the end is a strong statement. Poem Analysis WOMAN

she wanted to be a blade of grass amid the fields but he wouldn’t agree to be the dandelion

she wanted to be a robin singing through the leaves but he refused to be her tree

she spun herself into a web and looking for a place to rest turned to him but he stood straight declining to be her corner

she tried to be a book but he wouldn’t read

she turned herself into a bulb but he wouldn’t let her grow

she decided to become a woman and though he still refused to be a man she decided it was all right This poem really presents a colorful picture of the many twists and turns a woman makes to please her man. The sad part, about all of these changes the woman makes, is the fact the she cannot get the support needed from the man!! In the end, the woman took control and realized her man could not step up to the plate.