VENERATION FOR TONI MORRISON (Poem)

VENERATION FOR TONI MORRISON

By Farah Lawal Harris

Ancestor Toni taught me

to speak free and deep to my peeps,

pull from questions that haunt and exhilarate me.

As a working mother, she had an open door policy—

no writing or deadlines more important than her babies.

Ancestor Toni taught me to protect my stories and language fiercely,

to be wary of Eurocentric editing and code-switching,

to celebrate the way we speak and our intricacies.

I venerate her every time I write with honesty,

every time I sneak in some scary with some sexy.

I honor by removing artistry from commerce,

creating from the same urgency that surged through me

the first time I read The Bluest Eye.

I still write to excite that seventeen-year old girl.

In the middle of my crown

is one sneaky silver curl,

a hint of Ancestor Toni’s wisdom to come,

proof of legacy begun.

—

Written for National Poetry Writing Month