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FOUR WAY REVIEW

Multidisciplinary artist avery r. young is a Cave Canem alum & 3Arts Awardee who’s written work has appeared in The BreakBeat Poets, American Studies Journal, AIMPrint, Cave Canem Fellows 2010 - 2011 Anthology and other anthologies. His work with language, performance, visual text & sound design has been featured in several exhibitions & on-line publications - notably The Hip Hop Theatre Festival, The Museum of Contemporary Photography and The Logan Center for the Arts. As an artist-in-residence at The University of Chicago, young completed a collection of sound design that will be featured on his first full-length album, booker t. soltreyne: a race rekkid and a collection of concrete poems called "cullud sign(s)." His work celebrates Black American history and culture, all the while pushing boundaries in aesthetics and the spaces language lends itself.

THREE POEMS by avery r. young

Tuesday, 04 August 2015 by avery r. young

new testament

i.

in temple

 

mudda:              boy!!!!!!!

                             gonna make my hair fall

                             worryin if yo life
                             still on dis side
                             of groun(d)

                             us been three day(s)
                             lookin fo u

                             u in herr
                             runnin
                             yo mouf

hey-zeus:          dunno y
                             u worryin
                             bout me

                             u know
                             whatchu had me fo

                             i handlin
                             my father
                             bidness

mudda:              my God!!!!!





 

  ii.

at wedding

 

hey-zeus:          woman!!!
                             i aint no magician

mudda:              boy
                             u aint gotta tell me
                             what thou art

                             i know who
                             u come from

                             but
                             u came outta Me

                             i say we need wine
                             & de angel already tol(d) me

                             how u gotta do
                             now
                             ax yo daddy
                             fo summa dat joo-joo

                             & see if him work(s)
                             like him say
                             him do





 

iii.

at table | after cross

 

mudda:              God.

                             u aint tell me
                             him wud bleed
                             like dat

                             .   dam(n)

god:                













 


iv.

cabin in sky


mudda:              after
                             dey kill(t) u

                             folk wud snatch
                             life from mudda(s)
                             in prayer

                             & soil de mudda(s)
                             in dey own crimson
                             & scream(s)
                             & de mudda(s) wud
                             tell dem no   
                             & dont
                             in front of my baby(s)

                             but
                             dey wud take de mudda(s)
                             & de baby(s) too

                             & de men who knew
                             what yo face look(d) like
                             in de dark
                             enuf to kiss it

                             hey-zeus

                             dontchu know how many
                             commere wif yo name
                             in dey throat

                             dontchu remember
                             de one time
                             u open(d) de sky
                             & u ax(d) dat one
                             muddafukka
                             y him yo electric chair

                             dontchu remember how
                             u change(d) him name
                             & way him sword flew

                             open de sky
                             now!

                             open it!!!

                             & snatch de evil
                             from dey palm(s)

                             turn deez muddafukka(s) paul
                             hey-zeus

                             turn dem all









 

little red
fo Toni

 

& when him come mandingo buc(k)
all greasy & blue in de hush

of her befo her give him a piece
of summa dat blow

a min(d) | her tell him
some man rape(d)

some woman her kin to
somewhere one day

& ran saffron
up & down

her | her tell him
her blk not almos(t)

white | her tell him
              dem be razor(s)             not roller(s)

curlin her hair
her tell him her aint a prize

wif a pussy
her tell him

her pussy de prize
her tell him

her need him to be
a winner | her tell him

him has no option
to lose









status 3
6.18.15

as far as i be concern(d)
dem n’em made jee-sus
de 1st transracial mudda- fukka | ever

blk!


 

 

 

Avery R. YoungFour Way Reviewnew testament
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