Political Man, Part II

Political Man, Part II:

Addendum -What the hell is wrong witth Political Men??!

By Good Sista/Bad Sista

Brotha was fine and I met him at a free Mumia meeting 

slash poetry reading, 

so you know I couldn't help myself.

But while I was talking liberation

he was thinking fornication,

and while I was extrapolating on sexism, 

he was steady trying to get some.

Damn, I guess I need so much more than a political man,

cause how revolutionary men going to come straight sexist

and expect for me to lay down and take that?

Most the time I lay down and fake that.

And I guess you was just faking 

when you carried around that bell hooks’ book 

cause apparently you never cracked it to take a look.

You wanna call me a queen 

and then declare war on the monarchy?

That's cool that you're down to crush the capitalist state

and you've read the collected work of Frantz Fanon, Huey Newton and Steve Biko,

but don't expect the political to take the place 

of the personal work you have to do.

And, brotha, 

that's a WHOLE lotta work.

I know I got my own shit I ain't dealt with yet,

but damn, at least I’m conscious of it,

like that stack of bills you know you going to have to pay sometime.

You seem to think you have an unlimited credit line 

that ain’t never past due.

Well I am here to tell you

it is time to pay up.

Cause we can pontificate on the ills of a hierarchal society 

for days, 

but what I wanna know is,

when did our oppression become a verb we actively participate in?

Before suffrage rights, after affirmative action fights?

During freedom rides and {anther food drives?

Amidst de-colonizing the neo-colonialized

and correcting history book lies?

Oh, no, now I remember…

It was after I let you get some!

For all your talk, you hit it and quit it 

as fast as any other fool on the block!

I thought we were planting seeds for the future, 

but you were really hoeing your crop.

When did “I love you” become a tool we utilize 

like picket signs and pamphlets?

A slogan to be shouted instead of a promise to be whispered 

in the heated space between two bodies?

 What if I am tired of broken promises and broken treaties 

that treat me like a back seat driver on freedom’s train?

“Women should be quiet, keep to their place! 

Women should support their men!”

Whatcha mean, support?

Like a wonder bra?

Uplifting and defining, padding and supporting, 

creating but created to be completely invisible and undetectable 

when it’s really doing all the work!

I am not my brothers keeper

I am not my man’s maid

I am not my partners prostitute

and I am not my boyfriend’s mama.

 “Girls, Girls, so much back talk! Stop rocking the boat 

with your feminist agitation! 

We’ll step onto the shores of freedom 

and THEN unload the sexist baggage!”

That ain’t us rocking this boat, 

that’s your issues rolling around 

threatening to capsize us!

Don’t try to jump ship by heading for the door…

I know the protest you are going to is important, 

but so is this conversation we are having.
  What kind of world can we hope to create 

If we build it on the foundation of silence and distance?

You want to be a global family based on love and respect

but you can’t even show the one you love a modicum of respect. 

I fought side by side with you

I will fight toe to toe with you

Your tell me to bite my tongue til blood fills my mouth, 

that after we win this “revolution thang,”

we’ll deal with our personal shit.

I just don’t know how else to tell you that this personal shit, 

IS 

the revolution.

I’m sorry if this poem makes you feel uncomfortable 

but the time for my silence 

is done

and this speech is about 300 years overdue.

Cause you can’t just be all up in here 

with your stank ass drawers 

hanging in the wind for the whole world to see

and expect me not to tell you 

your shit is stank.

I wouldn’t have to air your dirty laundry 

if you would just 

wash it 

every once in a while.