Yo' Foot is on My Neck
My sistas. We all livin in solidarity.No one able to feel the black girls pain, but the black girl.
No one able to rejoice in the black girls celebrations than the black girl.
No one able to understand the black girl…like the black girl.
And no one able to bring the black girl down, better than…the black girl.
“Sista yo’ foot is on my neck”
Yo’ foot is on my neck
When yesterday you were my best friend and today you wanna hate and can’t congratulate me in my accomplishments.
Yo’ foot is on my neck.
With your exclusive parties and upscale shindigs- no I didn’t get the e-mail.
Yo’ foot is on my neck
Staying up late nights and listening to me crying and then turning your back on me in the times when I was dying
Yo’ foot is on my neck
Competing with me for what? For first place? When the black girl is already at the bottom of the totem pole of the human race?
Yo’ foot is on my neck
Mentoring me with that tough love. Yet pulling away in the blink of an eye when the going got rough.
Yo’ foot is on my damn neck
When you saw me on the ground. And walking by so thoughtlessly with out so much as turning around…
To say, “You okay?”
Warning me against the vipers that would attack yet for some strange reason I’m pulling a knife out of my own back and it’s from you…sista.
Yo’ foot is on my neck.
When you say what you don’t really mean
making covenantal bonds with me and breaking them in between all those words…
those empty empty words…
that don’t mean nothing, when your actions were what was really heard…the loudest.
And to your dismay Solidarity and Disparity make no room for me in False Charity.
So I must go.
To find solidarity within me in hopes that one day you will join with me and we can walk in peace, but until then I can’t wait and watch you slay me.
posted by Khristi Lauren at
5:53 PM
9 Comments:
Maybe you are too young to know the song "killing me softly?" But you do that to me.
I have learned to replace the word black with hurt girl. Some of us can't be your sister for real because we are separated from you with several degrees of pain. Little girl you live your life open and we like to hide. You are beautiful and creative and we doubt our abilities. The road you are on took me thirty one years to get there. hurt people never take their feet off other people's neck you just have to get up. Then they will say you are snob who think you are better than others no just a crab who wants to keep all her legs.But you should always come back to visit the crabs in the barrel just stay a bit far from the barrel so they can't pull you in but close enough to encourage them to come out. Because God is great crab rescuer. Keep on "singing my life with your song."
By
petra, at 10:49 PM
if you're talking about lauryn hill's "killing me softly" then yes. i wasn't around for the original. but yeah...that's a new way to look at it. hopefully i can sing Really loud in my next play. (-:
By
Khristi Lauren, at 8:41 AM
damn girl.... who hurt you. ;-) hehe
By
Anonymous, at 6:36 PM
actually nobody. i'm just tired of seeing Black women claw at each other...
By
Khristi Lauren, at 7:30 PM
interesting. i wonder if you ever thought about how many times you had your foot on others' necks. you seem young, self-absorbed and narcisstic. when you think about how you treat people, then you might see how others treat/see you. sometimes you miss it because you don't see you own participation in other's pain. it's easy for people who don't know the stories to see others as being jealous or whatever, but the truth is most people don't spend that much time involved in your insecurities. "you live your life open and we like to hide"...people want to hide from you because they know of the likelihood of seeing/hearing their offense in a monologue. and, everyone can see your bleeding, those places that are so severely wounded, and how that blood spills out on all those around you so anyone who has any sense will stay far away from you, the length of ocean from ocean. there are no crabs in the basket trying to pull you in, people just don't care that much about it or you. mistaken people's detachment as people's caring and involvement is a little off. if you are tired of seeing black women clawing at each other, then don't be guilty of the offense that you charge others with. if there is anything someone needs to say to you it is: grow up!
By
Anonymous, at 5:19 AM
that assessment is rather interesting- and awfully personal for someone who considers themselves anonymous. i think i would agree with you 100%, if this poem were written for me and about me. however this poem was written not just for me, but for others as well. after hearing story after story after story and i just got fed up. so i guess in a sense the 5 women close to me who's stories inspired this piece- i guess we're all being narcissistic (i think that's how you spell it) in some way or the other. and i guess i was the only one who was able to articulate that pain, huh? so my writing is not my bleeding- it's me being able to channel my pain in a healthy and articulate manner....and then move on. i have no qualms with the detached nor do i consider them in my thoughts...who are they again? at any regard, my suggestion to you (who seems rather disconnected and bitter) is this: stop bleeding on my blog and consider channeling your anger and pain to a paying therapist.
By
Khristi Lauren, at 6:23 AM
girl don't listen to these bitter women. even when you tell them to get their foot off yo' neck, they insist on tryin to keep it there.
By
Anonymous, at 8:33 AM
Woowee - heard about this controversial post, and had to check it out...
My goodness, such a passioante response to your piece, Khristi. And at 5:19 AM. Somebody is loosing sleep! No worries - it was probably some old angry Black woman, envious of your light. She's probably lonely, bitter and sad. Content only to keep her foot on the neck of her younger sister. Don't waste your time, life is too long to respond to people like that. Let her continue to obsess, let her continue to check your blog at 5AM. Let her continue to try and suck your blood.
By
Anonymous, at 1:17 PM
To the anonymous person who left that spiteful, nasty, self-bleeding, hateful, needs counseling, needs a friend, needs a man (for that matter) message.... im glad you think that poem was about it. Maybe now you will get you big *^# foot off all our necks, get some healing, and move on woman. Now come on... was all that stuff you said necessary?? I mean, i dont know about you... but i still wanna live in "solidarity." Not with you per se... but with those black women who dont hate and even if they do.. they got the balls to be honest and upfront about it. Only cowards hide behind "anonymous." But then again... you wouldnt have to hide if you would just... how did you put it?... GROW UP!!
By
Anonymous, at 7:37 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home