My Joy Girl

[Steve A Yost]

My Joy Girl
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My joy girl she
sit on floor she
bang on drum she
laugh out loud she
laugh so small she
say "seet dowwn" she
upside down
she my joy girl
she my joy girl
she my joy girl

After I wrote this last night, I realized its main device
came from a poem that had grabbed me by the windpipe when
I saw it some time ago. I needed to find it.
So today I checked the poetry section at my local bookstore.
I thumbed through all of Ntozake Shange's books - no luck.
Then, with less optimism, Maya Angelou...nope. A little more
page flipping turned up nothing. As I was about to leave, I
spied _The Rag and Bone Shop - Poems for Men_. Hmmm, an
interesting packaging concept. Something to take bear hunting.
I picked it up and cracked it open robustly...
my jaw dropped - there was the poem! It's WE REAL COOL by
Gwendolyn Brooks. Ms. Brooks' poem is musical and riveting.

Steve Yost