CLICK HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES »

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

"Not Another Stereotype"

I don't want it all
but you just can't take some
you have to take the good and the bad
So, you can't be a strong black woman without
being an emasculating, castrating, domineering,
matriarch, man-hating bitch
No matter how you choose, you lose
you can't claim the rhythm or the funk or the
basketball dunk
without being the coon, fool, better off in
slavery, yes sir, no mam, i'se don't know sir, low
end of the bell curve n-----
one stereotype feeds another
and there's no such thing as a positive without
a negative to balance it out
So, what is this all about?
I was simply saying...
I don't want it all...

11 comments:

Angelia Vernon Menchan said...

Go 'head Gwyneth....check this out..just for you Ma!!!!

You don't always...
have to comment...
when she represent...
and don't get bent...
if she ain't trying to repent..
she gave it to us free...
it didn't cost a cent...

LOVE YOU GIRL....

angelia, another Write or Die Chick

Gwyneth Bolton said...

Nice flow! I like that! Thanks, Angelia!

Much love!

Gwyneth

LadyBronco said...

Gwyneth ~

You really should give some serious consideration to publishing a volume of poetry.
You are quite good. :0)

Kimber Li said...

Brillian, Gwyneth!

Stereotypes. They're all over the place, ready to rise up out of the much to strangle the hapless travelor through life. Kind of like that octopus creature that grabbed Frodo in LOTR Fellowship of the Ring.

Chicki Brown said...

As we say in church ...

Make it plain!
Serve it up!
Well!
Amen!

Kari Lee Townsend said...

I always knew you were brilliant, but wow, Gwen. Awesome!!!

Gwyneth Bolton said...

Thank you Lady Bronco! I appreciate it. :-)

Thanks, Kimber An... Exactly! :-)

Chicki! Girl, you just took me to church. LOL. I love call-and-response. I love waiting for that moment when I can talk back and holler out, "Preach," or "You betta tell it!" or just a simple "Well!" :-)

Kari! Thank you... I hope to see you Saturday. :-)

Gwyneth

Nancy Henderson said...

I agree, you should write a book of poetry. Hey, you could read some at the booksigning!

Bella said...

Wonderful, Gwyneth. Funny how people push sports here and when you have the talent and physic for it, they call you hard. Didn't Imus' sidekick call the girls hard, too. People so need to grow up.

Bella

PatriciaW said...

We often forget that stereotypes are rooted in truth, no matter how small, and exacerbated by generality.

Wouldn't be cool if our kids could grow up to be want they want without being assigned a stereotype of any kind?

Nice poem!

Gwyneth Bolton said...

Nancy ~ I don't know about that. But thanks for the kind words! :-)

Bella ~ I know. It's crazy!

Patricia ~ Good point. The problem is when we allow the stereotypes to begin to define the people. And I agree, it would be so wonderful if children could grow up with out stereotypes being forced on them and limiting their possibilities.

Note about the poem:

I wrote the poem because I was thinking about the ways in which we embrace some stereotypes like the "strong black woman" or black folks have rhythm or are good in sports. And we do so in ways that don't call into question how problematic even these so-called positive stereotypes are. I just think we need to be careful about embracing any stereotype... The poem was probably a better way to say all of that. Look at how wordy I just got. LOL.

much love and peace,

Gwyneth