of spins and speech

Mama says, "When you are really tired, you won't have to tell anyone.You will stop proclaiming it from mountaintops,or rallying around your tiredness in the village square.Naw, baby!  When you are really tired...in all your blacknessand sexiness and woman-ness, the world will feel it - a gutturalcry from it's core will rise up!  All words coming together until there are none.(Have you ever heard a woman's hollerwhen the news hits her lactating breasts that there will be no child to feed?Lost to the auction block or while clawing its way through the vaginal canal?)It is a sound that you can hear even in your sleep -a sound that tattoos itself onto windpipes.The essence of you as a Black. Woman. with the gall to be tired will haltthe earth on its axis.  And everyone...everyone will hold their breath if onlyfor a moment.  And they will know.  So, naw baby...you ain't tired just yet.The earth is still spinning.And you are still talking."