So, in case you missed it, I write poetry (spoken word). I haven't shared too many on this blog, but I've done a few. This one is from 2005 and it was wrote on the 'fly'. I was new to the 'open mic' scene, but I jumped right in.. pulling from my memory and combined my new found name (El Boogie), I was compelled to enlighten folks. 'My Jump Rope' is the product of that. I didn't want to format this poem until I found the right photo.. cuz you know.. folk's like 'receipts'.
MY JUMP ROPE
My first mic was a jump rope. It all started when I was two years old.
‘Call Me’ by Aretha
Franklin. Rumor has it; I sang this song
from start to finish. When relatives from out of town would see me years later,
they may not remember me until I told them my name and who my mother was and
then they’d reply.. ‘Oh, you're the one who would sing with your jump rope mic!
To this day that song has a special affect on me. I know it’s probably
because my mom played the song constantly, so I had no choice to learn it, but
to memorize all the words? At that age?
Almost
any song by Aretha has some kind of affect on me; from ‘Chain of Fools’ to ‘Ain’t No
Way’ to ‘Till You Come Back to Me’ and ‘Say A Little Prayer’ and how can anyone
forget ‘Dr Feelgood’? AnyTIME I hear a song by her and I am transformed to
another time. When life was easy and my only worry was where did I leave my
jump rope?
As
I got older my love for music continued, and I began to define my own taste.
There are lists of songs that continue to grow that I wish I had a jump rope
for, the magic jump rope that makes everyone a singer. Songs that make me throw
my hands up and stop and groove….
'Grapevine' AYEEE!!
Or songs that make you feel like the words were wrote just
for you:
‘Weak’-SWV
‘My Life’-Mary J. Blige
'Have You Ever’- Brandy
And the list just grows. Now I’ve come full circle. My love for the
mic has been rekindled.
But I need your help, does anyone
know? Where did my jump rope go?
I only sing from time to time, but
if it’s okay with you, I will bust a rhyme.
To let you know that my love for
the mic is not new, my quest for the spot light never dwindled.
I just had to find my jump rope.
