awright bitch/ awright bitch/ you gonna marry me/
you gonna marry me . . .
i aint gonna marry ya/ I aint ever gonna marry ya/
for nothing/ you gonna be in the jail/ you gonna be
under the jail for this/ now gimme my kids/ ya give
me back my kids/ he kicked the screen outta the window/
& held the kids offa the sill/ you gonna marry me/ yeh, I’ll marry ya/
anything/ but bring the children back in the house/
he looked from where the kids were hangin from the
fifth story/ at alla the people screamin at him/ &
he started sweatin like he did in Baghdad/ say it/ say it/ say to alla the
neighbors/ you gonna marry me/
i stood by beau in the window/ with naomi reaching
for me/ & kwame screamin mommy mommy from the fifth
story/ but I cd only whisper/ & he dropped em
lady in red
i waz missin somethin
lady in purple
somethin so important
lady in brown
somethin promised
lady in blue
a layin on of hands
fingers near my forehead
lady in yellow
strong
lady in green
cool
lady in orange
movin
lady in purple
makin me whole
lady in orange
sense
lady in green
pure
lady in blue
all the gods comin into me
layin me open to myself
lady in red
i waz missin somethin
somethin promised
lady in orange
somethin free
lady in purple
a layin on of hands
lady in blue
i know bout/ layin on bodies/ layin outta man
bringin him alla my fleshy self & some of my pleasure
bein taken full eager wet like i get sometimes
i waz missin somethin
lady in purple
a layin on of hands
lady in blue
not a man
lady in yellow
layin on
lady in purple
not my mama/ holdin me tight/ sayin
i’m always gonna be her girl
not a layin on of bosom & womb
a layin on of hands
the holiness of myself released
i sat up one nite walkin a boardin house
screamin/ cryin/ the ghost of another woman
who waz missin what i waz missin
i wanted to jump up outta my bones
& be done wit myself
leave me alone
& go on in the wind
it waz too much
i fell into a numbness
til the only tree i cd see
took me up in her branches
held me in the breeze
made me dawn dew
that chill at daybreak
the sun wrapped me up swingin rose light everywhere
the sky laid over me like a million men
i waz cold/ i waz burnin up/ a child
& endlessly weavin garments for the moon
wit my tears
i found god in myself
& i loved her/ i loved her fiercely
All of the ladies repeat to them-
selves softly the lines ‘i found god
in myself & i loved her.’ It soon
becomes a song of joy, started by
the lady in blue. The ladies sing
first to each other, then gradually
to the audience. After the song
peaks the ladies enter into a closed
tight circle.
lady in brown
& this is for colored girls who have considered
suicide/ but are movin to the ends of their own
rainbows