I'm going to read this poem called "Voice Lesson," which
I was speaking with an honors literature class today,
and a student said that it was one
of my more aggressive poems, and wanted
to know why I was so angry, which is kind of a tough thing
to ask a black lady poet.
I mean, I didn't say anything, but I definitely
decided to read this poem tonight at that point.
"Voice Lesson,"
"Hello dumb, vain bird of paradise,
time to shred your lung's silk kerchief.
You can't be pretty mouth and sing.
Want some orange pip pip pips?
Ain't you lonesome on your little swing,
you dumb, vain bird of paradise?
I see you doling seeds and ants to nobody, what a drag.
You ain't made for onliness.
You can't be pretty mouth and sing.
All alone, all alone, all alone, all alone,
make your oh like an egg, like an egg, see.
Hell oh, you dumb, vain bird of paradise.
Don't swallow them stones, they dead
like you might be awful soon, if you please.
You can't be pretty mouth and sing.
Just how long will you peck around here
when you ought to belt and caw?
Hello, hello you dumb, vain bird of paradise.
You can't be pretty mouth and sing."
It's not super angry, is it?
Is that like aggressive?
I don't know.
Now I'm going to be thinking about that forever.
[LAUGHTER]