Negro flowers sew colorful fabrics, in US quilts Forced to return to the nudity of Blackened stars, in a land of foreign perfume Tasting Earth’s tears, while singing sweet sonnets, in sunny’s excitement
Growing impossibilites, in the laying of Negro vocalities As her Being replicates throughout the land Painting new seeds in these distant lands
Magical girls, wearing music as their pearls in the Spirit of magically collected girls
(Photograph By Mohamed Ashour; Edits By Lauren K. Clark)
And so, in honor of such, the poem, ”Red Stars, Blue Dreams,” was written. More importantly, it serves as a love letter to the feminine presence (and energy) of Black America. Our mothers, grandmothers, Sheroes, and Maidens, who were too often painted invisible, in the shadows of their husbands, fathers, Heroes, and brethren. This, is for them! May the aesthetics of their legacy, be re-stored. . .forevermore!
(Photograph By Mohamed Ashour; Edits By Lauren K. Clark)
Red Stars, Blue Dreams
I’m speaking dreams, many dreams Many dreams, that went. . .unseen
The birthin’ of popular dreams by the many, that went unseen
I speak of birthin’ popular music, that foretold of Ella’s swing
Preceding Martin’s foretelling of, having a dream Before Malcom proclaimed, by any means
Sweet dreams, swingin’ low on, sweet chariot dreams
Painting white stripes, while dreamin’ in blue
Langston’s darker sisters and mothers, who birthed that. . .Blues That ragtime, Soulphellic, Hip Hoppity, Gospelic, Funkadelic. . .Blues
Spittin’ peculiar tunes, safeguarding a Rhythm and Blues These untold stories of birthin’ that. . .Blue
Dreamin’ blue stars, while choppin’ red bars
You see they speak X and King, but forget of Fannie and Ella’s swing
A brown paper bag, but Bessie and Nina performed original swag
Journeying through Truth, cause’ she was a WOMAN
All day, everyday; they worked through dreams Toiling in soil, while birthin’ blue dreams
See, when you had to do the work of, birthin’ dreams That passport ain’t just a fashion. . .scene
A status symbol to sail the 7 seas, 7 seas to find comfort and ease in . . .golden dreams
To be worn, and taken off; when no longer, ”popular,” . . .you see?
When you birth the blue, and paint the red You had to worry about a noose around your head
Running for sanctuary, smelling the strangeness of swingin’ fruits
Hopin’ you ain’t swingin’ with that, summer breeze
Cottonfields of cotton wheels, cotton stories for others glory
Lifting a million voices, while remaining. . .unsung
The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Elvis sang what peculiar people. . .sung
Copied, cut, imitated, and pasted; still remaining. . .unsung
Yet, it ain’t just a fashion scene for the fashionably curious Taking off, and dressing on blue dreams, with red seams
It’s centuries of degradation, while singing through a nation
Contemplation for lost daughters’ return to hidden gardens, planted by their mothers
Singing paradises into fruition, while water betrayed them, in bitter hoses
Bombs a screamin’ towards angelic voices, towards 4 little girls Four sweet girls, all decked out in. . .heavenly pearls
And through it all, blackened flowers grew, from purple soiling, Singin’ through the realities of nightmaric dreams
So, lift every voice and sing, and ring through cacophonic dreams Cause’ the painting of blue, ain’t just for fashionable seams
Til’ Earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty
And so, Ella had her swing, Billie did her thang, Nina was a bad Mama, while dancin’ on em’ keys
Yet, while we think of blue stars, and red dreams
Remember the Blackened gardens, and the dream they seamed We didn’t get the passport, by sailing the seven seas
Take a look at us Baby, we painted purple dreams Seedlings of red, and imaginations of blue Remember the Blackened flowers, and the dreams they seamed
I said, Remember our Black Gardens, and the seeds of their purple dreams
Dear World, (A PSA for you) Presenting America’s Blackened Soils, of . . .red stars and blue dreams
(Photograph By Mohamed Ashour; Edits By Lauren K. Clark)
(Photograph By Mohamed Ashour; Edits By Lauren K. Clark)
(Photograph By Mohamed Ashour; Edits By Lauren K. Clark)
(Photograph By Mohamed Ashour; Edits By Lauren K. Clark)