Poems by Chardelle Imani Lassiter

POETRY

Is lover and bully teasing terrorizing Taunting seducing soul To spill its guts Poetry can’t keep Secrets always telling everything It knows I trust it Because Poems always speak truth Even when truth lies Poetry Timeless tool Available To both scholar and fool Same thing

Chardelle Imani Lassiter

BREAK-A-LEG

Broken hearts & wings/Broken bones, dreams— Promises—Spirits/Broken homes & other things I’m breaking up/I’m breaking down.

Then—came a therapeutic break— Though/It was that I couldn’t Break it off/I could not break out/ Until I broke in—To my broken self.

Chardelle Imani Lassiter

DÉJÀ VU

So changed... Is the world we knew. Over the years I’ve wondered if I’m still me And if you’re still you. And here we are again. Déjà vu. Many spring times past you asked: What do you hate? And who do you love?

I answer now,

I hate the preposterous nature of fate. I love when we were as two silken doves.

Chardelle Imani Lassiter

What is the critical difference among the species? Biology? Environment? Culture? Mentality?

Seems all creatures need and want to survive...but

Do crabs desire to “keep hope alive”? Do zebras fear there’s Satan waitin’? Do elephants recognize religion? Do dogs believe in a god?

Many humans do, then create hell on earth. Don’t you find that...odd?

Chardelle Imani Lassiter

AT RISK BEHAVIOR

At risk behavior Is starting wars Leaving out your front door Living stinking poor At risk behavior Is staying afraid Remaining enslaved From cradle to grave At risk behavior Is letting madmen rule Playing the cowardly fool Being a drug-swallowing human mule At risk behavior Is to abide and abet “ethnic cleansing”—murder— Genocide At risk behavior Is perpetuating Poverty Hep C AIDS HIV Sociopolitical insanity At risk behavior Is not stopping the ones Who create and sell The drugs The guns

Chardelle Imani Lassiter

PART OF ME

Part of me Always holding my breath Afraid of AIDS Afraid of Death

Part of me Has learned to Cope Bold Fearless Filled with Hope

Part of me grounded bird Flies High On the winds Of a kind deed and word

Part of me Bent by strife Refuses to break So...Here’s to Life!

Chardelle Imani Lassiter

AN INCONVENIENT POEM

Will we act? Before the Grand Canyon becomes a landfill Before the Great Victoria Falls becomes a dry hill.../ Before oil spills make gel of our oceans Become dead sea graves, slick and thick with no motion/ Unnatural greed/Slaughters Nature’s Wonders/ Pirates profit/Poachers plunder Global Warming/is harming farming/Still/ Reapers claim the farmers are false alarming/ They say: “There’s no problem! So we seek No solution!/We’re conducting/Our business As usual.../We’re not concerned/About pollution.”

In the now... Our Polar Bears and Penguins Are falling through thin ice/ Tell us: How much is enough?/Since We all will pay/The price/ Oh! We/Captives of Industry!/ We so enjoy our toys!/ You know girls will be girls and boys will be boys!/ We’re all in/This game of Environmental Roulette/Playing against the House/Is A damn fool’s bet.

Chardelle Imani Lassiter