Hey are you having a good time yet!
This is a poem by Poetri from the Def Poets called I Wanted to Snatch Her Purse:
I wanted to walk by her and snatch her purse.
I mean, that's what she thought I was gonna do anyway,
judging by how tightly she grabbed it and pulled it close to her
like it was her child and I was the evil kidnapper.
Maybe I'm just sensitive to this type of thing
and maybe she was just pulling it close
to make more room for me to sit by her and
in fact that frightened look on her face was really her way of smiling.
Some people look like they are frowning
but they're really overjoyed and others have a look of overjoy,
but they're really frowning inside, like I was that day.
I was tired from my basketball workout and
tired of trying to work out ways to let white people
know that I am "OKAY".
Tired of smiling or cracking a joke as if to say,
"See I'm funny, I don't want your money!"
How many different methods and techniques
have I used to try to get the same point across?
I used to pull out my cell phone and perpetrate like I was talking.
But then every thug in the universe got a cell phone.
So, then I pretended like I was talking some real big white stuff, right
like stocks and bonds and stuff, but that didn't work out too well either,
cause I really didn't know the lingo and all I could say was,
"SELL, SELL, SELL!"
I realized early on it didn't matter what I did,
white ladies would still clutch their belongings,
like I want their baggage.
Even sistas sometimes fear my complexion
and that hurts me more than anybody else could.
My own people are scared of me.
It doesn't matter what I have on.
Three piece designer suit, briefcase and all,
unless I can take off my blackness,
unbutton my like a button down shirt
pull down my roots like tailor made pants,
strip off my soul like Hanes underwear
unless I can get buck naked
wash all of the color out of my body,
I will always be feared that I'm gonna take something
Take your purse. Take virginity. Take your job.
Take your place in society. Take your life.
Like there is something that you have that I want
I admit. I can look a little rough at times.
I'm even scared of me sometimes.
Like when I wake up in the morning,
I'm scared to look in the mirror,
there's a chance that I may look like a Creature Feature Film of the week.
And don't let me put on my shades, beenie on my head and some sweatpants,
man I can take anything I want those days.
I'll be in a long line at the grocery store,
all I have to do is act like I'm in a hurry,
like I have a bank to rob or something.
The people ahead of me will start gettting all nervous and stuff,
"Uh, you can go ahead of me." They politely say.
I act like I'm struggling to smile
then I put on my best imitation gangster walk
until I walk out the sto', I keep a snarl on my face,
letting them punks know that I'm a mean mamma-jamma!! (ROUGH)
Anyway, back to this day, I wanted to snatch her purse
and then punch her in the face.
I mean, that's what she thought I was gonna do anyway,
sometimes I do think with that tendency.
I might as well give them a reason to be fearing me.
Or maybe I should just snatch the purse, put some money in it,
and then give it back to her, cause I probably have more money than her anyway.
To all the ones that fear me:
I'm not saying don't be scared.
If you see a black guy running toward you with a gun in his hand
RUN! Scream for help!
Don't try to be all politically correct and say that you don't have to fear all black men
just cause I said it...no, if he has a gun...RUN!
But, if a brotha is just trying to get on the bus looking for a place to sit.
You don't have to fear him.
You don't have to fear me, I just want to sit down.
If you are going to be cautious of me, be cautious of everyone.
Don't wait til you get out of your white plush neighborhood
to lock your doors, no lock your door right when you get in the car.
Cause I know that they don't tell you this much on T.V.,
But white guys do crime, too...shhhhhhhh!
It's a secret!