"For Karyn Washington and All Black Superwomen," A Poetry Post

To all you who are marvelous and
to be marveled at,
please remember that
every man or woman in the
superhuman state,
every wearer of the "save the world"
cape or no cape,
had a team.

In Superman's loneliness he made a
mess
until he discovered his
connection to
Krypton and
found himself surrounded by
The Family.

But that's fiction.

Even historical badasses
had their armies,
their homies,
their brothers,
their lovers,
their friends.

But that's history.

Even our current president,
who yes--is a man--
has his posse and
his security and his
cabinet and his
VP.

But that's a man.

Even Michelle Obama has her
mother and her daughters and
her supporters and her advisors
and her stylists and her
campaign managers.

But that's the president's wife.

Even the Kardashians have their
sisters and their mother and their
followers and their friends and their
lovers and their television cameras
to keep them company.

But they famous.

Even your mother,
in her strongest or weakest moments,
had at least one connection--
had her auntie or her sister or her
mother or her girl down the street
or her long-distance friend or the
first lady at the church--
to remind her of her humanity!

To say to her,
when you fall down
it hurts!
When you get cut,
you bleed!
You got weaknesses!

To remind her that her mind
could be hacked,
that her friends
could become enemies,
that her strength could be
a weakness!

Ladies!!!
All of you lifters of heavy weights,
upon the loss of one of the greats
(Ms. Karyn Washington--who perhaps--
became the Atlas type who was intended
only for fiction and circumspection),
let us remember remember remember the
truth about the Black superwoman.

She has always been one of a crew.

She has always lifted up her voice in a chorus.

She has always poured out her power into her children.

She has always linked arms with other marvels,
extended her strength to the falling and found arms to
catch her when she fell.

She is not some singular voice in the wilderness
mounted up like an undead Phoenix.

She is a part of a Parthenon of passionate princesses
that strike fear into the hearts of all traveling packs
worldwide.

It is time to remember, remember, remember
the key to your superhuman strength.

Remember your God,
remember your mother and
remember your self.

No where on earth
has anything great been done
without a true and open connection
to another superhuman strength.

-T. D. James-Moss