J-Term Student Poem
Tiffanie Beatty, January Term 2007 Student, shares this poem about her experience in Chicago.
I learned that in Chicago
I learned that in Chicago
Poetry is whats up and Chicago know it
I wish I was a chicago poet
I’d write a poem everyday and let Chicago know it
God, give me chance, I promise I won’t blow it
I’d run wit verbal balance
And that bring verbal malice
Cause I got verbal talent
Especially on them herbalics
But Im from the Northwest
So I get support less
Instead of the windy city
Im from the city of stress
A couple summers ago I gave my city my best
It was called “Say What?”
But on that open mic night, no one showed up
If I was in Chi-town, there would have been no where to sit
But I was in my town, so there was no one to spit
Maybe I didn’t have enough connections
Or maybe the flyer had the wrong directions
So I said fuck say what!
Fuck the say!
Fuck the what!
Then I heard you say
What the fuck?
But you don’t cuss, yeah me neither
I been called a poet, a prophet, and a leader
But if I put on a event, who’s gonna be there?
Like Mocha, Ugly and aqua moon
Stephanie Rose, Mars, Esteban Colon
Like Christopher Sims and Kimberly Lightfoot
I’m just tryna step off on the right foot
Just trying to make this next step right
Like that Iverson cross-over, I’m like left, right, left, right
Even J.O. got left, that night, right?
How am I gon talk about the greatest in his own city?
Especially if I don’t got my own city wit me?
Well, I don’t really care who’s the greatest
Or who’s your favorite
I got respect, but I’m not losing nathin
If that last word I said needs translation
I’m not from a different nation
But I’m from a different region
We speak a different language
So instead of nothing, we say nathin
Make it do what dowey my nig, yadidamsayin?
And these phrases probably just migrated north from cali
But when I hear this language it just brings something out me
For some reason it just gives me faith
There’s a need for culture but it needs a face
And first it needs a body
somebody’s that wanna be somebody
But these somebody’s might need somebody
To teach ‘em how to reach somebody
God, give me another chance, I promise I wont blow it
Poetry’s what’s up
I want my home to know it
I wanna be a Tacoma poet