Hometown Glory.

my sister denver is amazing. she so eloquently took the words right out of my mouth. my hometown is filled with culture and is like no other city in this country. we have all aspects of any city surrounded by water and filled with history and culture. no matter what ANYBODY in the state of SOUTH CAROLINA tell you...
EVERYBODY wants to be from CHARLESTON, nigga.
CHUCKTOWN all day. GEECHIE 'til i DIE. recognize....





THIS IS AN ODE TO WHERE I'M FROM AND HOW I'VE COME TO EMBRACE AND RESPECT IT'S HISTORY AS I HAVE GOTTEN OLDER

I................................AM.............................GEECHIE
(WAIT, WAIT, WAIT)
I GEECHIE UP NOW
YES I AM FROM CHUCKTOWN
PROUD TO THROW MY, MIDDLE FINGER IN THE AIR
AND MY 'C' TO THE SKY
I KNOW, I KNOW
I DON'T SPEAK LIKE THE AVERAGE CHARLESTONIAN
BUT MY MOM WAS AN ENGLISH & THEATER MAJOR
SO LET'S JUST SAY WE HAD TO ENUNCIATE IN MY HOUSE
BUT THE CULTURE STILL CLOAKS ME
THE MIXTURE OF MY WEST INDIAN, NATIVE AMERICAN AND AFRICAN ANCESTRY, STILL CLOAKS ME
THE COILING OF MY HAIR, BLACK, AS THE WATER RUSHES OVER MY SCALP
LISTENING TO THE SONGS OF YESTER-YEAR...
"ME SAY OH LAWDY YAY, ME SAY OH LAWDY YAAAY,
ME DONE, DONE...OH ME DONE , DONE, OOOH ME DONE, DONE..."
UNDERSTANDING THAT I AM OF A PEOPLE
STRIPPED OF THEIR LANGUAGE
STRIPPED OF THEIR HISTORY
STRIPPED OF THEIR CONNECTION
BUT WHO RECONNECTED THROUGH REFLECTION
FROM GEORGETOWN TO JACKSONVILLE
THE ESSENCE OF MY GULLAH PEOPLE SPILL, OFF THE COAST AND INTO THE WATERS
THE WAVES CONNECTING US TO THE WEST INDIES
JAMAICA, BARBADOS, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
WHILE OUR OTHER STATESMEN CONFUSE US WITH THESE PLACES
MAKING FUN OF THE WAY THAT WE SPEAK
NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR SPEECH DIRECTLY CONNECTS US TO THE MOTHERLAND, SO
REMEMBER THAT WHAT YOU DO IN JEST
I INGEST AS DISRESPECTFUL
SHAKING MY HEAD AT THE UTTER IGNORANCE OF YOU
BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT IF I WERE THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE, I WOULD FEEL AS YOU DO
I LOVE MY CULTURE...........IT IS IN MY BLOOD...........IT IS ON MY TONGUE
FROM THE SWEET-GRASS BASKET MAKING ON MARKET STREET
TO MY MOTHER'S LECTURES OF THE RICE CULTURE AND SLAVE HISTORY
TO OYSTER ROASTS, CRAB CRACKS, AND SEAFOOD JAMBOREES
I FEEL FREE, WALKING DOWNTOWN
LISTENING TO THE RHYTHM OF A CHURCH ON SUNDAY
FEELING THE INFECTIOUS PUSLE OF NEGRO SPIRITUALS
FINDING MYSELF SINGING EVERY WORD BECAUSE IT IS ALREADY IN ME
I FEEL FREE BECAUSE, MY CHILDREN WILL KNOW THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF MY PEOPLE
THAT IT FLOWS THROUGH THEIR VEINS AND INTO THEIR ESSENCE
I FEEL FREE BECAUSE NOW I HAVE RESPECT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE ME
ELOISE........HANNA.........SHARON
YOU SEE, THESE ARE THE ROOTS THAT MY ROSE GREW FROM
AND MY ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO BE PROUD OF WHERE I'M FROM
I AM ALWAYS AND FOREVER INSPIRED TO BE, BECAUSE ....I.......AM......GEECHIE

-----DM