mirrors
by ella turenne

mothers and daughters mirror times
lived by separate lives.
she wanted to be like mama,
but there was no room for ambition and nurturing
in the same womb so they had to fight it out,
and in the end ambition won,
and the rest of her life suffered
as she lost pieces of it one by one
by one
by
one
by
one day her mother spat her out
like her father did her,
and his mother before him
setting off the chain of recognition -
oh you MUST be her child!
mama was picked from le pearles des antilles
and replanted in the big apple-
still looking for her dreams,
still dreaming,
unable to reach past the wall of white hands
that blinded her from them.
she sees them in her and
she sees them in her
and they dependant on their dependence on each other
knowing they are mirror images in a different place and time
coexisting on the axis of
a womans burdens:
leave the self behind and it will reincarnate in your fruit
somewhere in a better place.
mama labored that she may live in peace-
peace of mind,
peace of body,
but for daughter only the differences define that peace,
knowing mirror images they are
but
les pearles des antilles
the big apple
is not.

A Brief Description of Hell
By Ella Turenne

Eagle eye
Eclipse the spirit of a people
Camouflaged as a thing of beauty
Worshiped as a symbol of power
Crushing as a weapon of evil
Letting love affairs
And lynchings pass through
Cascades of time
Strong nigger strong color
Whose gonna’ buy
100, 100, 100……sold!
Sold
The mind
The collective black mind
Sold
Strong muscles to struggle
Innocent minds to conquer
Spirited will to endure
Enduring
Eagle espionage
Infiltration to causes… cries for revolution…
Walk ins… sit ins… sighs… shouts… screams…
Where’s our justice!
Justice… all of a sudden seeing once laying
Eyes upon us
The nubian nation
And favoring enemy shades says
Looks in the eyes of the eagle
The eagle explains enticingly
Equality equals everyone
And whispers
Cold day in hell
Hell is now
Hot ain’t it…

4:00 am

overwhelmed

exhausted

sleepless

because everyone makes demands on my time do this do that do this do that have to make that living have to make that money have to survive have to get ahead keep hustlin’ keep hustlin’ look for the next opportunity keep yourself sharp take on this project it will help you get ahead network with this person it will help you get ahead you’re the only one who can do it they said you can do it please do it and i can’t complain because i did it myself because i have trouble saying no i have to have many plates spinning in the air and hope none of them comes crashing down and everyone wonders how i do it how do you do it and they just don’t realize that you just have to get less sleep you only need two to three hours anyway and didn’t someone say that you’ll get all the sleep you need when you die so less sleep or give up things like sitting and watching tv or going to the movies or heaven forbid a date no time for a boyfriend because that gets in the way of getting ahead have to finish this manuscript have to run this event have to create this art have to get ahead need to feel satisfied need to feel busy can’t just sit home washing the dishes is not an option cleaning the house is not an option so many people depending on me mother father brother boss cousin artists activists kids audiences need my time so i have to get this whatever it is done have to do this right away but you said you would and i already committed and the commitments they are getting larger and Larger and LARGER and i feel like sometimes i am just going to explode because i am just so

tired

need

break