Poetry and Stories from - She Said No

Written by Donna Jackson

MOVEMENT

Taking the groceries from the car up three flights of stairs in one trip. Eight bags. Five in one hand and three in the other.Eight hours at work. Stand up, stretch, grab my coat and bag and run to the elevator.

Carrying one child in left arm and holding the hand of the other in with the right. 
Loving them and keeping the safe.

Taking down my hair. Putting on the black dress with those amazing shoes.

Walking

To the bar to sit next to you.

To your car, to your porch, to your bed.

UNDER-THING

I can take it off. You can watch. One strap. The other. 

Freeing myself. 

ROSA PARKS

She Said No

WHICH SIDE

Sometimes I think if they look at me from a different angle, just maybe 

they will see me as I am.

FLOWERS

She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. 

She loves me not. She loves him. She loves him. 

She loves him. He knows it. Does he love her? 

She doesn’t know. 

INSIDE OUT

Beautiful outside. 

Abandoned inside.  

CROWN

We all came into this world with a crown on our head. Royalty to humanity, to our spiritual selves. 
Stripped away by life’s pain, ego, lack of love.
Let’s take our crowns back. It’s easy. 
Love ourselves, love each other, know your worth.

GROW

You are like beautiful trees. Strong bodies of different shapes and sizes, firmly rooted,
nourishing the world with light and energy. Tresses, like leaves, stretching and expanding to the sky.
Let me sit next to you and be free.

ARMS LENGTH:

Don’t come any closer. I love best from afar. 

AMERICA

This America...It is not for me. 

GENTRIFICATION:COLONIZATION

Same. Thing.  

LOCKED OUT

The darkness caged in all of us is needed to become the human beings we are meant to be. Let her free. 

BEAUTIFUL BECKY

She is beautiful. Lean and tall, straight, dirty-blond hair.  Her skin white. Her eyes blue.
The world has created its standards and she is it. 
She is beautiful. She is lovely, without question, but what about me? 

My eyes dark, rooted in history, knowledge, and curiosity.
Body curvy and round. Lips full. I see this looking back at me in the mirror.
Hair genetically silver, just like my grandmother and her daughter; masked by hemp and indigo. 

Am I beautiful? Am I?

DREAM

At times I dream about you when I feel unsafe and alone. It is a simple dream.
You hold me and tell me, “you are loved.”

LIPS

My lips are shut because I’m not sure what to say.
My lips are shut because you aren’t listening and don’t want to hear what I mean.
Let my lips touch yours and maybe then, you can understand.

LISTEN

Stand here. Look at my lips move and sound reverberates from between them to your heart. I want to be heard. I want you to listen to me and understand. No. You don’t have to agree unless you do. No. you don’t have to disagree unless you do. All I need is for you to listen.