Poetry writing exercise: pick a topic, choose a subject, decide who is doing the talking, and then attempt to instill a feeling by finding a voice.
Topic: depression; subject: a mother; who’s doing the talking? her child; the voice: unknown (my apologies – but the voice came from the little child, not me).
Oh, Mamma
Why you ain’t happy?
Why you ain’t lookin’ at me?
Instead you jus look right past
why you mad?
Mamma
Your eyes
Why they don’t see?
Me
I’m jus standin’ here
right here in front
Waitin’ to be washed
Waitin’ for your soft hands
To grip my face
Your finger
To beep my nose
Mamma, oh mamma
Why you don’t like me no more?
Why you don’t love me like before?
Oh, Mamma
Stop flippin’ channels
And stop grippin’ your belly
don’t lean your head back
don’t turn away
You look jus’ fine
‘Cept for your mouth, Mamma
not a mouth at all
Jus’ a straight, tight line
Don’t you know you the prettiest person I ever seen?
And people see it too, Mamma, they do
They tell me all the time
You got that somethin’ else
Somethin’ they always lookin’ for
Plus you got me
And you smart
But you have them tired eyes, mamma
and they real sad too
Can you jus’ get up?
Mamma, mamma, I need you
I need you today
Please don’t tell me to jus’ go away
I ain’t going