Siaara Freeman
Lavender, Stepped On
I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.
--Alice Walker
Susie Carmichael
wore a yellow dress with purple flowers.
Susie is not in enough episodes
for you to notice she is
missing.
The background noise for the Rugrats is brown.
Susie is a 90’s soundtrack to becoming a token.
When you are black and not a villain you get less
screen time as per cartoon principal. Or ---
You are a frog. Or---
You are a gag. Or---
You have a gag. Or---
Susie has three siblings.
Can you name one?
I know, why should you, but could you?
If you could hear us
ask?
If Susie turned the brown
noise down?
Susie’s mother has three jobs
Can you name one?
Do you remember the episode where Angelica stole Susie’s tap shoes?
Susie transformed her dance routine into a comedy show.
Remastering is the brown girl’s inside
joke. In another episode Susie explains to Angelica where babies come from,
Susie thinks Angelica deserves the truth, even if she rarely gives it.
Susie’s mother is a doctor, a French chef and an airline pilot.
Three jobs is the brown mother’s breaking
back. Three jobs is the brown mother’s promise that three jobs does not have to be
the brown girl’s inheritance. Susie’s mother is the mother you see the least of
but smiles the most.
The flowers on her dress have wilted, lavender stepped on –make sure the Pickle’s home smells clean. Don’t look much like flowers to anyone but me and Susie and her siblings most of us
can’t name.
“Susie has been in the majority of episodes” says her Wikipedia,
It goes on to admit (“although still in less than other characters”).
But isn’t that the perpetual theme?
The plot lines we know? And don’t we know plot lines? Can’t we still speak
plantation? Don’t we know
their next lines?
“I gave you some. I gave you more. Why do you need as much as me?
He Is Named Incorrectly After A Joke That Is Named Incorrectly After A City That Is Really Named Incorrectly After A Man
the front of cleveland brown’s home comes flying off,
we laugh, every time.
he is in the bath tub, every time.
naked black and often shivering. the joke
changes but does not mature.
it is always a white person who is culprit, mostly peter.
peter is an idiot with unlimited power. he is drawn this way, a drunk
with a heart of fool’s gold, who hates his daughter, ignores his wife and is nicest to
the dog. this is also a joke
we laugh, every time.
the first time we see this gag, peter uses a tank he has purchased from a car dealership
with no hassle. with nothing but his wife’s inheritance to support him. he destroys brown’s home
with a government missile. brown asks peter to blow down the towel rack so brown can at least cover himself
in the wreckage.
the next time, peter has stole a giraffe from a zoo that was actually from its mother that was actually stole
from africa. the giraffe after enduring peter, runs
and barrels fear first into brown’s home. brown is aware he can’t stop peter
brown decides to reschedule his showers, his clean is dependent
on peter.
brown has said “ohh no” and asked “what the hell” each time. except this time. this time peter uses a hot air ballon
to a chase a dream into brown’s foundation. the bathtub slides to ground and brown can’t feel
his legs for 30 seconds. there were a lot of dead black men in those 30 seconds. 30 seconds worth of dead black men which is actually long, which is actually naked and shivering.
peter has a horse name till death, in the final episode peter swerves his vehicle into brown’s home to avoid harming
his pet. when brown falls, till’ death drinks
his bath water.
it happens at his new house. on his own show. he is a prank everywhere.
we laugh every time.
his ex wife dies in the bath tub it is funnier before whitney houston dies
in a bathtub
still, we laugh every time.
is this better than being stuck in your throat?
if we are the house’s tools can we not dismantle the house
even if it is our only shelter?
wont we be black and naked and shivering
regardless?
is indecent exposure a thing
you can reclaim?
Gerald Johannsen Being Interviewed By Riley Freeman
On The *N Word*
Riley: Nigga, do you say nigga? Or are you one of them niggas?
Gerald: I say nigga in my house---aint allowed to say it
on the show Anything I say
around my mama I should be allowed to say anywhere
----that’s just me
----literally just me
Riley: Ya let white bestfriend say nigga, nigga?
Gerald: Arnold is my best-friend. Not my white best-friend.
-----I don’t know
what he calls me when he in his house. I don’t know
what he allowed to say when he not on the show
Riley: Nigga, how much they paying you to be the one nigga on the show, it’s plenty of niggas on my show, niggas everywhere I look, what that one nigga per show pay check look like?
Gerald: Like being asked “do you say nigga?”
Ode to Dijonay Yvonne Jones of “The Proud Family”
(who was originally to be named *Delinquenetta*)
I like your name. Both Names.
I know you are supposed to be the *hood rat* friend.
They were never going to give you the last name “Proud” or expect you to be
anything outside of comic relief. A side by side comparison. Short enough
to fit beneath most noses. Especially black ones who have moved up far enough
to look down.
I like how your blue bow-bow holds your blond pony tail into a question mark
they will never have the answer to.
I like your hair. Even if you dyed it, even if its not /
our hair.
I like that it’s nobody business but yours.
I like your brother and sisters.
I like that you are the oldest of nine.
I like their names : Tabasco, Cinnamon, Basil, Nutmeg, Paprika, Cayenne, Oran and Caramel.
Named after things white folks cant handle. White folks don’t know what to do with ingredients like they know what to do wit’ money. White folks sure can shine a penny. White folks sure can use
money. Make wishes on pennies and throw em’ first chance they get,
I like that your mother knew to add spice
I like how they tried to make you look jealous, like it would make you leave the show
Like you can be got rid of that quick? Like they could find someone else to make penny look more huxtable. I like how they stay trying to get rid of us. I like that you are chubby as you want to be. I like that you wear a belly top. I like that you are dark as a lighthouse when no one thinks
it is needed.
I like how loud you are. You sound like every summer
that was my favorite. The music of an ice-cream truck interrupting an argument
or starting one. A fire hydrant unleashed
by children who ain’t got no pool. I ain’t seen myself like this except in pictures
of myself like this. I ain’t seen myself like this since la’shawn popped her gum in bebe’s kids.
I ain’t seen
myself. I ain’t
seen myself.
I ain’t
seen
erasers circled around my head like nigga buzzards, the helicopters that shine their hunger into the hood.
Then you little delinquent,
rolled your eyes three times
And I was
home.
I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.
--Alice Walker
Susie Carmichael
wore a yellow dress with purple flowers.
Susie is not in enough episodes
for you to notice she is
missing.
The background noise for the Rugrats is brown.
Susie is a 90’s soundtrack to becoming a token.
When you are black and not a villain you get less
screen time as per cartoon principal. Or ---
You are a frog. Or---
You are a gag. Or---
You have a gag. Or---
Susie has three siblings.
Can you name one?
I know, why should you, but could you?
If you could hear us
ask?
If Susie turned the brown
noise down?
Susie’s mother has three jobs
Can you name one?
Do you remember the episode where Angelica stole Susie’s tap shoes?
Susie transformed her dance routine into a comedy show.
Remastering is the brown girl’s inside
joke. In another episode Susie explains to Angelica where babies come from,
Susie thinks Angelica deserves the truth, even if she rarely gives it.
Susie’s mother is a doctor, a French chef and an airline pilot.
Three jobs is the brown mother’s breaking
back. Three jobs is the brown mother’s promise that three jobs does not have to be
the brown girl’s inheritance. Susie’s mother is the mother you see the least of
but smiles the most.
The flowers on her dress have wilted, lavender stepped on –make sure the Pickle’s home smells clean. Don’t look much like flowers to anyone but me and Susie and her siblings most of us
can’t name.
“Susie has been in the majority of episodes” says her Wikipedia,
It goes on to admit (“although still in less than other characters”).
But isn’t that the perpetual theme?
The plot lines we know? And don’t we know plot lines? Can’t we still speak
plantation? Don’t we know
their next lines?
“I gave you some. I gave you more. Why do you need as much as me?
He Is Named Incorrectly After A Joke That Is Named Incorrectly After A City That Is Really Named Incorrectly After A Man
the front of cleveland brown’s home comes flying off,
we laugh, every time.
he is in the bath tub, every time.
naked black and often shivering. the joke
changes but does not mature.
it is always a white person who is culprit, mostly peter.
peter is an idiot with unlimited power. he is drawn this way, a drunk
with a heart of fool’s gold, who hates his daughter, ignores his wife and is nicest to
the dog. this is also a joke
we laugh, every time.
the first time we see this gag, peter uses a tank he has purchased from a car dealership
with no hassle. with nothing but his wife’s inheritance to support him. he destroys brown’s home
with a government missile. brown asks peter to blow down the towel rack so brown can at least cover himself
in the wreckage.
the next time, peter has stole a giraffe from a zoo that was actually from its mother that was actually stole
from africa. the giraffe after enduring peter, runs
and barrels fear first into brown’s home. brown is aware he can’t stop peter
brown decides to reschedule his showers, his clean is dependent
on peter.
brown has said “ohh no” and asked “what the hell” each time. except this time. this time peter uses a hot air ballon
to a chase a dream into brown’s foundation. the bathtub slides to ground and brown can’t feel
his legs for 30 seconds. there were a lot of dead black men in those 30 seconds. 30 seconds worth of dead black men which is actually long, which is actually naked and shivering.
peter has a horse name till death, in the final episode peter swerves his vehicle into brown’s home to avoid harming
his pet. when brown falls, till’ death drinks
his bath water.
it happens at his new house. on his own show. he is a prank everywhere.
we laugh every time.
his ex wife dies in the bath tub it is funnier before whitney houston dies
in a bathtub
still, we laugh every time.
is this better than being stuck in your throat?
if we are the house’s tools can we not dismantle the house
even if it is our only shelter?
wont we be black and naked and shivering
regardless?
is indecent exposure a thing
you can reclaim?
Gerald Johannsen Being Interviewed By Riley Freeman
On The *N Word*
Riley: Nigga, do you say nigga? Or are you one of them niggas?
Gerald: I say nigga in my house---aint allowed to say it
on the show Anything I say
around my mama I should be allowed to say anywhere
----that’s just me
----literally just me
Riley: Ya let white bestfriend say nigga, nigga?
Gerald: Arnold is my best-friend. Not my white best-friend.
-----I don’t know
what he calls me when he in his house. I don’t know
what he allowed to say when he not on the show
Riley: Nigga, how much they paying you to be the one nigga on the show, it’s plenty of niggas on my show, niggas everywhere I look, what that one nigga per show pay check look like?
Gerald: Like being asked “do you say nigga?”
Ode to Dijonay Yvonne Jones of “The Proud Family”
(who was originally to be named *Delinquenetta*)
I like your name. Both Names.
I know you are supposed to be the *hood rat* friend.
They were never going to give you the last name “Proud” or expect you to be
anything outside of comic relief. A side by side comparison. Short enough
to fit beneath most noses. Especially black ones who have moved up far enough
to look down.
I like how your blue bow-bow holds your blond pony tail into a question mark
they will never have the answer to.
I like your hair. Even if you dyed it, even if its not /
our hair.
I like that it’s nobody business but yours.
I like your brother and sisters.
I like that you are the oldest of nine.
I like their names : Tabasco, Cinnamon, Basil, Nutmeg, Paprika, Cayenne, Oran and Caramel.
Named after things white folks cant handle. White folks don’t know what to do with ingredients like they know what to do wit’ money. White folks sure can shine a penny. White folks sure can use
money. Make wishes on pennies and throw em’ first chance they get,
I like that your mother knew to add spice
I like how they tried to make you look jealous, like it would make you leave the show
Like you can be got rid of that quick? Like they could find someone else to make penny look more huxtable. I like how they stay trying to get rid of us. I like that you are chubby as you want to be. I like that you wear a belly top. I like that you are dark as a lighthouse when no one thinks
it is needed.
I like how loud you are. You sound like every summer
that was my favorite. The music of an ice-cream truck interrupting an argument
or starting one. A fire hydrant unleashed
by children who ain’t got no pool. I ain’t seen myself like this except in pictures
of myself like this. I ain’t seen myself like this since la’shawn popped her gum in bebe’s kids.
I ain’t seen
myself. I ain’t
seen myself.
I ain’t
seen
erasers circled around my head like nigga buzzards, the helicopters that shine their hunger into the hood.
Then you little delinquent,
rolled your eyes three times
And I was
home.
Siaara Freeman is a friendly neighborhood hope dealer. She does it through poems whether on stage or on page with no apologies. She hope she gets caught doing it over & over again. If you like her work she is published in a few journals/magazines *Balkan Press *Tinderbox Journal *3elementsreview *Crabfat *Chicago Literatti with upcoming work in *Cahoodling Mag and *Texas Borderland Review and an upcoming anthology through Lucky Bastard Press. She is currently on the good grief tour with her bestfriend and fellow hope dealer Natasha T Miller. Siaara can't sit still for very long. when Siaara can sit still she spends that time trying to grow her afro so tall God Mistakes it for an mic and tries to speak into her. She is from the hoods of Cleveland Ohio, that is important she thinks and she wanted you to know that.