For Nina Simone

In this moment
I want to dance
I want to stretch my limbs
All the way out
I want to contract and release
To plie and sashay
To Jill Scott, Nina Simone and Coltrane
Yeah Coltrane
Let me be a saxophone
I want to release
All this everything
Into a solitary dance for two
One for me
And one for you too
Whomever you may be
When youÕre alone
But not lonely
I want to dance for the
African diaspora
Spread all across this earth
Living out the sycophantic fantasies
That haunt them
From other peopleÕs opinions
Of who they are
Supposed to be
When all they really want
Is to finally be free
From the drudgery of social
Anxiety
Depression
Consumption
I want to dance the tears
Out of my hair
The turn from my stomach
The blood from my inheritance
The wash from my brain
Oh, God!
Give me release
Let me cry my last ache
So my legacy can be clean
Let this pain bleed away
Pour from my womb
My soul
My feet, my toes
I want to free my hips
From the shame of
Too many eyes
Forming incoherent opinions
Of my mommaÕs gift to me
This is mine
And you canÕt have it
Take this burden
If you want it carried so badly
Then carry it your self
I cainÕt be bothered with
A European ideal
I ainÕt from Europe
AinÕt never even been
I got no home
No resting place
And I donÕt want to rest
I want to dance
So get up offa my soul
I got chains to break
You cainÕt hold me down
With your social decorum
Cause IÕm no longer seeking
To be a part of an illusion
I want to be a new day
Get this blood offa my shoulders
Here take it
I donÕt want it
DonÕt need it
CanÕt stand it
I am beautiful
Under all this hatred
Behind this oppression
I am tired
And I want to dance
ÔTil I can get back up
And be done suffering
And crying
And carrying on
I ainÕt got no soft shoe
And I ainÕt got no tutu
All I got is me
And I gave that to God
Cause didnÕt nobody else
Want what I had
So if youÕve been looking
If you want to find me
Go ask God
And maybe
You can find
The little girl
Who always asked why
Or you can come with me
And dance

by Empress Nzingha

Home
Contents