#ReadInterfaith ✨ Day 1
Today’s theme is “Poetry”✨
Here is your #blackjewishbookchallenge pick:
⠀
📚 Yarmulkes & Fitted Caps
by Aaron Samuels
⠀
⠀
✨Excerpt (shared with permission. Thank you @writebloodypublishing & @PoetryAaron):
⠀
“WHICH KEEPS ME
⠀
Black is the stain on me
that everyone feels
comfortable ignoring.
Jewish is that too.
⠀
The water keeps me here;
I am not sure if I want to stay.
When I say rope,
I mean that which coils and unfurls.
⠀
When I say Black,
I mean that which is
constant as water.
⠀
Water coils and unfurls.
⠀
Jewish is that too.
When I say mother, I mean
which keeps me here;
everyone
⠀
feels more comfortable ignoring:
Black, the stain, that too.
⠀
When I say unfurl, I mean my afro,
Jewfro—it coils
and coils.
When I say keeps me here, I mean
⠀
I cut it off, curl by curl. When I say cut
I mean plucked, I mean Jewish;
a stain that everyone feels
comfortable plucking rope by rope.
⠀
The water keeps me here.
When I say here,
⠀
I mean not here; never was;
⠀
a stain
everyone feels more comfortable ignoring,
⠀
a rope which coils and unfurls—
remains as constant as water,
⠀
which keeps me here,
which brought me here.
⠀
Black is that too.
Jewish is that too.
Jewish is Black too.
⠀
The stain is the water
is the rope; the curls
are
coils
unfurling
and unfurling
⠀
like an afro
like an afro
like an answer
plucked out of the water
⠀
Black
by Black.”
⠀
⠀
⠀
✨ I will share my full Bookish Thoughts in a separate post. This poem instantly got my attention upon reading “Yarmulkes & Fitted Caps”. In fact the entire collection is an emotional journey on identify, questioning Blackness and Jewishness, in a coming of age collection that almost reads like an autobiography in prose. Please see my follow up post for more information!
⠀
❔QOTD: How can we create spaces where people can be honest about their identities?
⠀
⠀
💋 xoxo,
Kat
⠀
P.S. Be sure to follow the hashtag #readinterfaith !
⠀
Also scheduled to post today for the #blackmuslimbookchallenge :
@theroadlessread
@s.musey
@engineeringbookisha
@Hawa.Reads
⠀
Like, Comment, Share to continue to #AmplifyBlackvoices & #AmplifyMelanatedVoices 👍🏾 Sincerely, #BlackGirlReading 📚
Today’s theme is “Poetry”✨
Here is your #blackjewishbookchallenge pick:
⠀
📚 Yarmulkes & Fitted Caps
by Aaron Samuels
⠀
⠀
✨Excerpt (shared with permission. Thank you @writebloodypublishing & @PoetryAaron):
⠀
“WHICH KEEPS ME
⠀
Black is the stain on me
that everyone feels
comfortable ignoring.
Jewish is that too.
⠀
The water keeps me here;
I am not sure if I want to stay.
When I say rope,
I mean that which coils and unfurls.
⠀
When I say Black,
I mean that which is
constant as water.
⠀
Water coils and unfurls.
⠀
Jewish is that too.
When I say mother, I mean
which keeps me here;
everyone
⠀
feels more comfortable ignoring:
Black, the stain, that too.
⠀
When I say unfurl, I mean my afro,
Jewfro—it coils
and coils.
When I say keeps me here, I mean
⠀
I cut it off, curl by curl. When I say cut
I mean plucked, I mean Jewish;
a stain that everyone feels
comfortable plucking rope by rope.
⠀
The water keeps me here.
When I say here,
⠀
I mean not here; never was;
⠀
a stain
everyone feels more comfortable ignoring,
⠀
a rope which coils and unfurls—
remains as constant as water,
⠀
which keeps me here,
which brought me here.
⠀
Black is that too.
Jewish is that too.
Jewish is Black too.
⠀
The stain is the water
is the rope; the curls
are
coils
unfurling
and unfurling
⠀
like an afro
like an afro
like an answer
plucked out of the water
⠀
Black
by Black.”
⠀
⠀
⠀
✨ I will share my full Bookish Thoughts in a separate post. This poem instantly got my attention upon reading “Yarmulkes & Fitted Caps”. In fact the entire collection is an emotional journey on identify, questioning Blackness and Jewishness, in a coming of age collection that almost reads like an autobiography in prose. Please see my follow up post for more information!
⠀
❔QOTD: How can we create spaces where people can be honest about their identities?
⠀
⠀
💋 xoxo,
Kat
⠀
P.S. Be sure to follow the hashtag #readinterfaith !
⠀
Also scheduled to post today for the #blackmuslimbookchallenge :
@theroadlessread
@s.musey
@engineeringbookisha
@Hawa.Reads
⠀
Like, Comment, Share to continue to #AmplifyBlackvoices & #AmplifyMelanatedVoices 👍🏾 Sincerely, #BlackGirlReading 📚
