I chose Maya Angelou’s (profound) poem to pull inspiration from:
Harlem Hopscotch
By Maya Angelou
One foot down, then hop! It’s hot.
Good things for the ones that’s got.
Another jump, now to the left.
Everybody for hisself.
In the air, now both feet down.
Since you black, don’t stick around.
Food is gone, the rent is due,
Curse and cry and then jump two.
All the people out of work,
Hold for three, then twist and jerk.
Cross the line, they count you out.
That’s what hopping’s all about.
Both feet flat, the game is done.
They think I lost. I think I won.
8 8 8 8
My Name is …………..
Heraynimis Camoakay Johnson
aka for friends and family Heca Bay
Jonastius Fukanooka Smith
aka Jonz
Charmanaria Pookay Blackmon
aka Champoo
Oh how they hate us
Oh how they laugh
“Damfoos!
Name your kids
Bill, John, Sally, Susie
Give them a chance
With the right name.
They may be black
But give them a white name
And I may hire them”
To clean my toilets
Or shine my shoes.
Oh how we laugh
As they ask, “How do you spell it?”
And the mistakes they make
Ten spellings in the database
Easy to confuse them
We act offended
But we are laughing inside
You gave us no choice
You’ve taken it all
You’re calling the shots.
The one thing we call our own.
We choose it.
We spell it.
We toss the nasty biscuit
You bite on.
You will never know our
Real ones. Our names
On your lips would be
Too much to ask of us.
Anmol (alias HA) is today’s host of dVerse. Anmol says:
Welcome to dVerse Poetics. This is Anmol (alias HA), and today, I am prompting you all to write a verse, short or long, free verse or form, taking inspiration from [the selection of] poets and their poems.
Tao Talk 
A powerful poem, Jade!
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Thank you, Kim!
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Wow
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Butt-kicking prose, activist verse, a very strong piece; speaking truth to power. You can be proud of your message and your courage.
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Glenn, thank you. I’ve felt it for a long time but Maya’s poem inspired me to put it into words.
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This really moved me Lisa. I love that they laugh inside at our poor attempts to spell their names. I cheer for them as they truly have been stripped of all dignity.
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<3
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a name is so very personal, wow Lisa this was amazing, it speaks strong about how much we need to stand up for ourselves all the time.
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Yes, Gina. Whatever the oppression and attempt to exclude or minimize, one needs to find a way…
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Amazing! I loved it! <3
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Thank you, Carol Anne.
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Splendid writing!
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Thank you, Donna.
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Very effective words. Reached deep inside the heart.
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Thank you, Sadje.
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You’re welcome
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Two great ones Lisa.
“Give your children white names and I will hire them!”
Prejudice comes in many forms.
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Yes it does, Dwight. Thank you very much.
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Profound indeed! A fantastic write!
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Vivian, thank you.
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To crush a shiny name into a pebble is the ultimate humiliation… but we are expected to smile.
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That’s a powerful verse, as it delves into the agency that is found and embraced in the worst of circumstances. Very well penned!
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Thank you very much Anmol.
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My this bites, and wonderfully so, that we dare to assume a colour of ascendency.
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Thank you, Paul.
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My pleasure Lisa
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