Doro the Magnificent

the sophisticate garbed in glamor, draped in melanin, and coils. beauty permeating screens showcasing that American beauty can be found in black skin too.
that Hollywood visage wasn’t bright enough to match her brilliance.
Those roles could never capture her ability to weave a spell and draw the viewer into her web.
she in her Carmen Jones finest cast a long shadow
forcing us to see her
not just the role
but relishing them both as future versions
of our own womanhood

Streetlights

I remember when the streetlights
Were a homing signal
A sign to return to
The nest
From the back yard, from the street
Or hanging with friends
To the comforts
Of my mother’s arms,
A warm kitchen
Steaming pots
And a house full
Of dogs and love.