Ursula Rucker
For Women
For Women
My skin I brown
My hair is platinum blonde, today
Burgundy tomorrow
My nails is long
I know no sorrow, cause
Ain't nothing I care to know, but where my check so I can get my
tics for the Jay-Z show
And I do aspire to be a video-ho do' and I know
Pop-eye got shot last night
But, that's how it go, in da ghetto, in da ghetto
What do they call me?
Read the tattoo on the left breast
My name is, Lexxus, yeah girl, my name is LEXXUS, get it right
My skin is young, so young
it burned and tore
My hair was pressed and curled
And tied with ribbons that Sunday morning, September 15, 1963
I screamed
In the basement of the church, I screamed
The last day I would ever see
Ma and Pa would never know the woman I would grow up to be
I was an involuntary offering for humanity
Why did they hate me?
Why they hate me, so, so, sooo
What did they call me?
Four Little Girls
Four Little Girls
My skin is tough
This woman
This, lunch and home, mistake and love-maker, double shift
worker, sometimes warrior, sometimes weak
This, wife
This, single soldier
God-given, God fearing, God doubting
This, bearer of wisdom and fruit and pain
This, once girl
Sometimes still - saint, sinner, teacher, multi-tasker, friend, this
everyday wonder
This, woman
This, nation-builder
This, raiser of leaders, of losers, of babies, of boys who will
become men
Girls who will become women
This, woman
Some call me mama
Hey mama
Hey mama
Hey mama (whisper)
My eyes are a rainbow
I reflect the spectrum
I have seen much
My heart weighs heavy
Even with joy I feel so much
My hair is electric
I am ablaze, I am the source
I can feed you or starve you
Breath life into you or bleed you
I can fuck you or love you
I don't care how they call me
I know who I iz
Call me crazy, divine, Ma'at true honey bun
Supreme pontifica, electric lady, holy prostitute
I don't care what you call me
I know who I iz
I know who I iz
I know who I iz
I know who I iz
I iz
Mammy, Mulatto, Welfare Mom
Matriarch, mid-wife
I iz, ah aaaaahhhhh
Ah aaaaahhhhh
Ah aaaahhhhhh
Aaaaahhhh
I IZ