Yakima Davis

Evening News

Read the newspaper
Look at the sections
Of hunger, violence, poverty
The runaround without shoes
Glass shattered on the floor
The best laid plans
Fall down from here
Falling all downhill from here
Where's the motivation?

The paper goes by chapters
Chapter one streets are
Dirty with rats and drugs
Chapter two rent can't be paid
No food put on the table
Chapters three, four, five
Neighborhoods aren't protected
From oppression and ignorance
Falls downhill in chapter six

Throw the bomb out the window
Good riddance fat chance
World will go around and around
Going blind refusing to see
The rain's falling down
The rain's soaking the town
Drown in children's tears
All is even in caring and not caring
Throw away the paper

Devil in a New Dress

I'm weary in my new shoes
Hands in my pocket
I'm weary in my new shoes
Hands in my pocket
Picking at the piano
Alcohol taken in circles

Black America will survive
I play it like the lottery
Black America will survive
I play it like the lottery
Pick the apples from the tree
Pour champagne on a cop

Travel the lonely road
Make a deal with God
Travel the lonely road
Make a deal with God
And switch places
More complex and hypnotic

Behind my back is a monster
Kick the drummer some
Behind my back is a monster
Kick the drummer some
Black hands on a platter
Eat them I'll be famous 

Sledgehammer in my hand
Bash the ugliest thing in sight
Sledgehammer in my hand
Bash the ugliest thing in sight
Go with a mountain climber
Make a sunset out of it

 

Jakima Davis has been writing poetry for almost 20 years.  She published her first poem at 17 and has been published in Big Hammer, Barbaric Yawp, and Marymark Press among others.  She co-authored a chapbook published by Marymark Press.  As of now, she’s posting her poems on Facebook