Coraddi Magazine

This poem has been brought to you in part by
Michelle Everette

I wrote this while on a
Trip.
this poem is only as
existential
as you make it out to be.
For all I know
this poem could be about
Trees.
or the
State Of My Blackness.

For all I know
this is a
Militant
Poem.
Maybe you think i’m a
Militant person.

That is how i would see me
If i were you, white girl

A woman who uses her Blackness
As an opportunity to educate
Is a woman to be feared.
This woman is too political.
This woman is too

This woman is too human.

But this is not a political poem- not if you don’t want it to be.
This poem could be about
whatever makes you more comfortable.

Keep reading this, and tell me what it is about.

If I sound incredulous you’re imagining it.

Or maybe you’re not:

Maybe I just cannot honestly believe that you think we wash our hair once every 2 weeks.

Maybe that negro Alex or Allan or whoever
Only washes his shit once every 2 weeks
But Alex or Allan or whoever
Is not the spokesperson for the Black Experience.

If this poem is getting too loud, set it down. Come back to it.

What does it say now?

I hope it says “proceed with caution”
But that may be too cli·ché for your tastes.

Are you able to separate me from this poem?
You can try but I don’t think you will be able to.

We are one now, so if you think I am angry then this poem is about anger.

If you think I am sad then this poem is about sadness.

If you really don’t know what the fuck to think because you’ve never had a conversation with
A Womanist
Then this poem is about

Education.

So while you are still reading this, let me educate you:
Poetry is the platform in which I, as a black woman, can be sneaky.
I can write a poem
Full of theory and one very
not-so-subtle
political agenda
And make you believe that you wrote it.

And you truly did.

This poem has been brought to you in part
By an ashy negro girl who washed her hair 3 times this week.

Michelle Everette is “that scary Womanist bitch.”