#african poets

[aslisjournal]

Before I start I’ll say I have a lot of flaws A couple of fears, And some deep rooted issues But there’s this dream that I have One that I fall asleep to every night One that’s so deeply woven in my heart I don’t care if I’m inadequate 

I don’t care if I’m not enough A life with out my art I lived it, I can’t fathom it It’s like I’m walking around with two weights on top of my heart And that’s not exaggerate I have to reach the life of my dreams By any means Even if I have to fight the earth Cause I’m only here this one time And I probably lived more than half of it So even if the earth decides I’m not enough And raises the standard above the clouds Above my reach Then I’ll go the longest route I’ll build day by day I’ll scavenge for pieces Finding new ways And if along the way I spill it all Fall on my face Even If the earth decides to laugh I’ll start again from scratch The reality is I’m not gonna stop So if we got to go back and forth then so be it It’ll be that way with me until the curtains close And when I die And the earth swallows me whole It will say this one...this one put up a fight I will leave on it a scar or two And when it is asked about it It will tell the story of a girl With too much heart Too much grit Too much love I promise you It will tell the stars and echo into the universe The story of our fight

[chrisevansmentee]

JUDITH

Today I met a man.

He had the most beautiful brown eyes.

A bright smile and my sense of humor.

I made him laugh.

It felt good.

What didn't feel good was the fact that he liked me.

He said I was jovial.

He wanted my number.

I freaked out

I didn't want to meet new people.

He asked for my name.

I told him the name I'd been recycling in my head, the one I saw on my friend's door.

I said "Judith"

He smiled at me, I saw the way he looked at me, he'd found love.

I'd found another burden.

I met a man, I made him blush.

I wanted to run away from the consequences of this blessed curse.

This curse of being jovial at all moments even when it's not needed, sure I've put a smile on a face but that's it.

That's all I am...the blue pill.

Right now I'm at this point where I don't want to meet new people.

I'm sorting through the old ones like the clutter in my room, I'll put away the ones I don't need...

I am fond of picking things that don't benefit me.

Beads, needles, rubber bands, pen covers, bottle caps, broken hearts, emergency calls, sadness, hard and tough emotions, strong ropes, other people's business, manipulative people.

So when I sort through all those people and I'm done, I'll move with the people that remain.... That is if they do.

Everyone thinks I'm happy.

I don't know what to say to them.

All I know is I'm learning...

I'm learning to love myself, to know that not everyone is as bad as my mind paints them.

I can't tell them how bad I want to scream at night, I can't, they won't understand.

They don't know how I lick my wounds clean every night.

How I pray to God that someone calls to ask how I am.

How I hold back tears even when I spread joy and laughter.

But that's not the point of all these words I'd written above.

It's just that I met a man today and it scared me.

[heartsoundslikelove]

ANNOUNCEMENT! Book Launch Featuring Elizabeth O Ogunmodede with her latest Poetry Book "The Beauty of Words"

REGISTER for the VIRTUAL Book Launch featuring Elizabeth O Ogunmodede with her latest Poetry Book “The Beauty of Words” or send an email to admin@prolificpulse.com to register. Learn more about Elizabeth and pick up a copy of her book: Prolific Pulse Press Dive into the enchanting world of poetic expression with “The Beauty of Words: A Poetry Collection” by Elizabeth O. Ogunmodede. This…

[iambrillyant]

“your gut instinct is not a liar, those initial feelings exist for a reason, sit on them if you need to, process whether your feelings are valid or just projections, but never dismiss your intuition when the signs are staring you in the face and your nervous system is agreeing.”

— iambrillyant

[authenticity2025]

When death finds you, may it find you alive -African Proverb

[yourdailyqueer]

Alice Dunbar Nelson (deceased)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

DOB: 19 July 1875

RIP: 18 September 1935

Ethnicity: African American

Occupation: Poet, journalist, activist

[uwmspeccoll]

Copper Sun

Last week we brought you Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen's (1903-1946) first major poem The Ballad of the Brown Girl. Today we present Cullen's second collected book of poetry, Copper Sun, published in New York by Harper & Brothers in 1927, with illustrations by the same artist who illustrated Ballad, the unrelated Art Deco artist Charles Cullen (1887-?). Copper Sun is a collection of over fifty poems that explore race, religion, and sexuality in Jazz Age America, and particularly the possibility of unity between white and black people, as exemplified in the two Cullens, one black, the other white.

View more work by Countee Cullen.

View other books illustrated by Charles Cullen.

View other Black History Month posts.

[sankofaspirit]

Aimé Césaire (1913–2008) was a renowned Martinican poet, playwright, and political leader, whose works were deeply influential in the fields of literature, politics, and the fight against colonialism. Born on June 26, 1913, in Basse-Pointe, Martinique, Césaire is most famous for being one of the key founders of the Négritude movement, which sought to reclaim African identity and culture in the face of colonialism and racial oppression. The Négritude movement was a literary and ideological movement that celebrated black culture and heritage and rejected the colonial mindset imposed by European powers.

Césaire's early education took him to France, where he studied at the prestigious École Normale Supérieure in Paris. It was during this time that he met other intellectuals, such as Léopold Sédar Senghor and Léon-Gontran Damas, with whom he co-founded the Négritude movement. His poetry and writings reflected his commitment to the idea of African cultural pride, resistance to colonial exploitation, and the assertion of black identity.

Césaire's most famous work, Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to the Native Land), published in 1939, is a groundbreaking poem that explores themes of colonialism, identity, and the trauma of the African diaspora. The poem is celebrated for its passionate language and radical political ideas, establishing Césaire as one of the leading voices of 20th-century literature. His work is notable for its powerful symbolism, and it played an essential role in inspiring anti-colonial movements in the Caribbean and Africa.

In addition to his literary work, Césaire was also active in politics. He was elected as the mayor of Fort-de-France, Martinique, in 1945, a position he held for over 50 years. He also served as a deputy in the French National Assembly, where he championed the rights of the people of the French Caribbean and argued for greater autonomy and independence from France. Césaire was a vocal critic of French colonial policies and a strong advocate for the rights of the colonized. In his later years, he also became critical of the direction of post-colonial French policies, especially regarding the treatment of immigrants and the legacy of colonialism.

Césaire's contributions to literature and politics made him a towering figure not only in the Caribbean but also in global discussions on race, colonialism, and identity. His ideas influenced generations of writers, intellectuals, and activists, and his works remain key texts in the study of postcolonial literature.

Aimé Césaire passed away on April 17, 2008, at the age of 94. His death marked the end of a life dedicated to the artistic and political struggle for racial equality, justice, and the affirmation of black identity. Despite his passing, Césaire's legacy continues to resonate in the world of literature, politics, and social movements, and he is widely regarded as one of the most significant intellectual figures of the 20th century. 🇲🇶

[inmyperfectworld]

My hands trace the lines of history, carrying the stories of ancestors whose whispers still guide me. 🌍 Their resilience flows through me, etched in every breath, every step. This haiku honors their strength, the land they cherished, and the legacy that lives on. 🤎✨

[postcard-from-the-past]

A griot, West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and musician playing on Kora instrument

French vintage postcard

[geminicorrects]

the other day

[aslisjournal]

The Choice of growth

In my latest blog post I wrote about my belief that growth is a choice, the consequence of apathy, the region beta paradox theory, and my attempts at living the most fulfilling life possible.

Do you hold the belief that every chapter in your life is trying to tell you something?

[chrisevansmentee]

we all dream of conquering time, so the knees may not grow sore with earth pleading, so death may be put to shame and into the shade. But time and death are what dreams are made of, banging at the very doors of the day-night eye. ~Titus chukwuemeka Nwosu.

[heartsoundslikelove]

ANNOUNCEMENT! The Fragments of my mind - the delicate lines to this place and time, is now available

For those seeking poetry that resonates with thoughtful individuals, poetry enthusiasts, children, educational institutions, and humanity at large, “The Fragments of My Mind: The Delicate Lines to This Place and Time” by Steve Anc is an excellent starting point. This anthology encompasses themes of hope, despair, love, self-care, power, fame, war, peace, and death. It showcases the allure of…

[iambrillyant]

“walking down your authentic path can be one of the loneliest roads to travel on because the longer you’re on it, the more you realize that only a select few will be compatible with who you are with no mask on.”

— billy chapata

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Wanda Coleman

Wanda Coleman was born in 1946 in Los Angeles, California. Coleman wrote twenty books of poetry and prose. Her writing, regarded as prescient and innovative, focused on racism and on the marginalization that came with living in poverty in her home state of California. Coleman is considered a transformative figure in the literary landscape of LA. Her book Bathwater Wine won the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, and her book Mercurochrome was a finalist for the 2001 National Book Award for Poetry.

Wanda Coleman died in 2013 at the age of 67.