POETRY4

GIVE HER A CHILE'
SO
SHE KNOW...

Give her a chile’ so she know
what it means to be a momma without reading it outa’ book
or listening to what others say
or watching what she think she see
Give her a chile’ so she know
how it feels for your stomach to stretch and stretch and you can’t say stop
what flips and kicks feel like through a pregnant half year
and ninety mo’ days
to feel what a movie or documentary can’t pain
or old wives tales can’t lie or scare you about

Give her a chile’ so she know
not to give advice but money
cause kids ain’t’ cheap for just birthdays and Christmas
show her why premature gray hairs sometimes color a young temple
that should still be black
show her why grown hard faces adorn adolescents
and sometimes you can’t tell when
Give her a chile’ so she know
not to call in mid night when sleep has finally called
and she ain’t’ got nothing to really say and I don’t care anyway cause I’m beat tired
so she know why my clothes don’t fit like they use to after a body-stretching
and why I ain’t’ got no money to buy new ones
cause free formula and juice aren’t available to everyone

Give her a chile’ so she know
how an English major now speaks by habit in baby-boo jabber
and why I’m pumping milk instead of iron
even though I still could but lord when do I have the time?
so she know that a cold cost medicine cost money
and I’m down to my last dollar fifty two cents and ain’t a dang thang’ funny
Give her a chile’ so she know
not to pity me or other hip-baby mommas
so she know
I don’t envy her but thank God every day for this little and trouble gift of mine
so she know
a license a certificate or the latest info written on child care don’t give you the real deal
or the drop kick
Please
Heck no

Give her a chile’ so she know
somebody done messed with her head and done told her wrong
got her believing everything she reads quote for quote
talking bout’ you can’t do this and you mustn’t do that
it’s like this it’s like that
so she can stop saying if I was a mother I wouldn’t be doing this or that
so she know
you ain’t’ got a clue or less mothering but you do your best
and hope and pray you’re passing the test
Give her a chile’ so she know
to also appreciate and respect single mothers that have little blessings

Somebody

Anybody

Please give
Miss I-read-the-book-and-saw-the-film

a chile’

so she know

the real flow.

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