By: Osamase Ekhator
Issa Rae Finds Santa Monica Beach
I don’t need a summer body.
Her intellect sizzles.
Her hair is natural.
Olive Oil edge controls
the waves of her melanin
mind while my ecstasy works
for her attention,
in the mines
she calls dimples.
Digging you.
The best light is your darkness;
A (blood) diamond.
Battle of Actium
Lovers in a coliseum of young, hoary spectators shouting lovely words
we hate. I cut your ears,
you do mine.
The tint of your skin, sweet: brown sugar.
A past doesn’t matter,
as long as mine
doesn’t bother. The sister-
wife to the dead’s judge,
mother of Horus: lost
in tension. A lea
where we met,
cause we can’t hide
in pyramids forever.
Give me an Amber
rose, cause you know my type
of night. Dueling in these red sheets,
riding
waves,
our locked hips;
trapped lips
And I taught you new positions,
so use them.
This head will go down
your chambers
and let limbs quiver
and release
a sun
and moon.
You’re coming
for a final blow.
We scream
from the pyramids, as we want.
Remember,
I cut your ears,
you did mine.
Blocking out the rest,
but also each other.
Osamase is a recent Boston College graduate and a life time poet. His favorite poets are Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and Bob Hicok (Kendrick Lamar joins the mix when he feels like it). You can find more poems from Osamase on Instagram, @osamasetorbest
“This poem [Issa Rae Finds Santa Monica Beach] was inspired by one of my favorite shows: Insecure, created by Issa Rae; and the show’s title is the driving force of this poem. Insecurities many black people face surround their body shapes, hair, intellects, and skin complexions; just to name a few. These insecurities are fueled by society and racially biased norms on beauty. Hence, we are blood diamonds; something so naturally beautiful, but stained by the circumstances around us. It’s time we clean ourselves free.
[Battle of Actium] What if Cleopatra was a Millennial in today’s world? Historically she called herself the ‘New Isis’. And the ‘New Isis’ has a boyfriend named Ptolemy; who brings his own baggage, followers and past lovers. Over the years, the two have fought wars together; and taken over nations, side by side. Ancient relationship goals; the original Romeo and Juliet before tragic love was cool.
And in a pyramid of retweets, likes, and shares, their love takes on many voices; sometimes heard as music, sometimes heard as noise.”
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