Ghetto Woman

(Poet Annie Ruth featured in photo from 1999, Photographer: Clatties Moorer)

“Ghetto Woman”

Your family is ghetto people
You know how I can tell
Your grandma was a drunkard
and your cousins live in cells.

You’ll turn out to be just like ’em
Ain’t no sense of foolin’ yourself
for you’re bound to be ghetto people
for you there’s nothing else.

Ain’t no sense of going to college and
keepin’ them imaginary goals
cause for all the ghetto people
the story has been told.

You either have ten babies
or live a life of crime
Yes, you ghetto people’s
lives not even worth a dime.

But if you don’t marry a bum
who beats you black and blue
you’ll probably end up in a box
with people crying over you.
Cause your family is ghetto people
you know you’re all the same
come on ghetto woman and
answer to your name.

Yes, I’m a ghetto woman
and my family made mistakes
my grandma was a drunkard and my
cousins the police have chased.

Yes, I’m going to college and
I’ll always keep my goals
You just watch carefully
and see my story told.

I was a ghetto woman and
proud from whence I came
For being poor and living in slums
I’ll never be ashamed.

And even though I am a rich woman
the ghetto is in my heart
For in it I learned a sense of pride,
dignity, and my most essential part.

I learned that people can’t be judged
by their family’s actions, or the places
which they call home.
For it’s a person’s heart and soul
to make a judgment on.

Go back and pick up that penny

Small, copper-colored

Dirt embedded in every crack—

It’s gonna need a good cleaning.

What good is it?

Can’t buy nothing.

Not even a piece of candy these days.

So why even bother to pick it up?

That penny gonna change the world someday.

A lot of them collected

can change things.

It’s been overlooked

Underestimated

But its power is uniting…

Not just one but many.

I passed by it when I first saw it on the ground

amidst old wrappers and trash

But I heard an inner calling…

It said, “Go back and pick up that penny”

So I did.

Cause I realized

That penny gonna change the world someday

It’s gonna inspire others

It’s gonna mobilize

It’s gonna be change revealed.

Is there one that seems to be the least amongst you?

Overlooked?

Undervalued?

Go back and pick up that penny

It’s gonna change the world someday

And that day might even be today.

She Stands

Break the Shackles

(Inspired by the plight of the first African American Juvenile Court judge elected to Hamilton, County)

She ordered that shackles be removed —
Broke them up.
Refused to let them bind the legs of our babies. 
She freed them.
“No routine shackles in my courtroom” was the decree.
“Free at last” some would say
But the cost of freedom is more than many of us could have ever fathomed.
Cause freedom ain’t free.
It cost something.
Sometimes even our lives.
Not many of us are willing to pay that price
It sounds good.
Revolutionary.
But freedom ain’t free
It cost.
Not many are willing to pay…
But our sister has.
Open persecution.
A life put under a microscope.
Many looking at pieces of the puzzle.
Making judgments.
Assumptions.
And mis-interpretations.
She stands
Stripped.
Open naked.
And bare before us.
What will we do?
Will we cover her?
Stand with her?
Pray for her?
Support her?
Listen to the whole story before
We stand as
Judge.
Jury.
And executioner.
Using only distorted information that the media has fed to us.
Freedom ain’t free.
It cost something.
Yes— she removed the shackles from our babies’ legs.
Liberated them in her courtroom.
Not to be shamed.
Degraded.
And lessened before any ruling.
But the cost of freedom wasn’t free
She paid and is still paying…
Shall we just talk?
Or will we uplift her arms
Like Joshua and Caleb held up Moses…
Hold her hands up!
Pray
Support
Speak out
Write
For we must
Break the shackles too!
But remember— freedom ain’t free.

An Angel in the Room

I shared my art with some children the other day

It was my way of stirring up the gift that the Creator planted in me.

I watered the children like seeds planted in soil.

The lesson was a seed that took root for many

Others were like dry ground that needed a bit of tilling

I tilled the ground and poured the water, which was given to me

Endowed by His Spirit

To my right was an angel that had entered the room with the children.

She sat quietly

Grey hair and wrinkled skin but a bright smile.

She sat holding her walking cane firmly with a brightly lit countenance.

Her face emanated love and wisdom.

She didn’t speak she just sat and watched the children

Like a guardian.

I kept pouring water on the plants in the soil and tilling where needed

Then the angel arose from her seat and stood behind me.

She said, “Thank you for sharing with the children—

How long have you been creating art?” she asked.

Over thirty years I replied.

She smiled and said. “I’m so proud of you”.

I felt the warmth that came from her spirit

It was like a ray of sunshine on a cool afternoon

That energy flowed throughout my spirit.

My soul wept on the inside and

I thanked God for visiting me on that day.

Her cupboards are almost bare…

Her cupboards are almost bare
Not totally void of food
But not what she really wants to eat
All of the time.…
They have lots of pinto beans and black-eyed peas—
The kind of stuff mama bought
To stick to your bones—served with cornbread
“The stuff that could stretch”, she’d say.
The refrigerator shelves aren’t too full these days either
Lots of room to store those plastic bowls of homemade chili
And leftover vegetable stew.
Not a lot of sweets—
She seemed to have lost her taste for them
When she started making her dollars count.
Her gas bill has gone down a lot these days too!
Not always cooking on the stove but
She likes eating her greens raw.
Looks good on her too!
She’s not eating as much as she used to
A lot less throwing potato chips in her mouth.
Seems to be mostly fruit and nuts now.
The bruised ones don’t cost that much.
Her cupboards are almost bare—
Not totally void of food
But she’s stretching every dollar
And eating right
Now.

Mama’s Hands

Mama’s hands are a symbol of strength and beauty—

Aged gracefully like fine vintage wine

Solid like a rock—a firm foundation

Constant like the sun rising in the East.

Mama’s hands are the ones that gently stroked across my cheek

As she wiped tears away and planted nurturing words of

“You can, “You are”, and “You will be Great”

Mama’s hands are the ones that firmly grasped my small hands.

They said, “You are safe”, “I got you”, and “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

Mama’s hands are the ones that spanked my butt

when I stole that piece of candy—

Testin’ her to see if I could get away with it or if she was payin’ attention.

Those firm whops said, “Baby you gotta learn discipline and self control…”

“And if I don’t whip you now—you gonna pay later”…

At the end of a billy club

Behind bars

Or with your life.

Mama’s hands are the ones that formed soft lathered white puffs of perfume,

Which she gently caressed across my back during bath time—singing ,

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world—red and yellow black and white, they’re all precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

Mama’s hands are the one’s that created intricate details of fabrics, shapes and patterns—each sewn with miles of thread, woven in and out—in and out

Lace from auntie’s dress, curtains from a kitchen window

A denim square from big daddy’s overalls—

All formed into a quilt of many colors

That kept me warm through the coldest of winter nights.

A quilt of many colors like the coat of Joseph, the dreamer.

Mama’s hands are the ones with strong pointer fingers—

Not the kind that condemn but

The kind that lifted up a hung down head

And made you feel like you were on top of the world.

Like you were special—Truly the Greatest for real!

Mama’s hands are the ones that were clasped together as she knelt in prayer

Going before the throne in her secret closet—

The one that only she and God knew about.

Mama’s hands are the ones that were raised high in the air

In adoration to the Father—

In surrenderance to His will and His plan for her life—

Even going through, He gave her peace in the midst of her storm…

She proclaimed, “Thou art worthy to receive glory, thou art worthy oh Lord—worthy of glory, worthy of honor for thou art worthy oh Lord”…

Mama’s hands are the ones that turned each page of her weathered and torn bible—folding corners of pages that spoke to her spirit…

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart…” “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty”.

Mama’s hands are the ones that traveled the mixin’ bowl in spiraled motions,

Stirring the batter for pancakes awaiting the hot cast iron skillet.

Snapping and tearing collard greens and shelling beans, as she recounted stories of her youth—growing up in the country—working in the fields, factories, or sling mops so that life would be better for us.

Mama’s hands are the ones that I will always hold dear to my heart…

The praying hands

Clappin’hands

Lifted up hands

Working hands

Spanking hands

Kneading and knitting hands

Shelling hands

Caressing hands

Ointment rubbin’ hands

Loving hands

And strong beautiful hands of mama.

An Invitation to Eat

Four years ago on this day, I was nearing an end to my time in Kenya. We had received many invitations to come and eat and to bless the homes and schools of our various hosts.  My team called me a trooper when it came to eating the food there in Kenya. I didn’t feel like a trooper, I honestly felt so much better since I had been eating over there…and I wasn’t eating as much. The food was very filling but not wasteful calories on junk.

Every home and school that we visited– they wanted to feed us.  Quite honestly, the food was not much different than in the U.S., however it was healthier.  The vegetables were always prepared fresh with less salt and sugar than we are accustomed to eating…..their spices were more than enough.  I savored each bite like I was  taking in a part of the country and part of my lost culture.

One day when we visited a village far outside of Nairobi, we went to the home of one of the pastors. His father and mother greeted us as his own.  He said you are “my daughters” from America and when you come to Kenya, this is your home. So when it came time to eat, I realized that it was more than just an invitation to eat the meal that was prepared for us.  Eating was my way of saying “thank you for embracing me as your daugthter”, “I am glad to be home” and “I accept your home as my home”.

I had eaten many of the traditional meals that included food prepared with rice, kale, carrots, onions, bananas, mangos, pineapple, greens beans, dried beans, corn (which they called maze), and various types of breads.

It was all organic, without chemicals…low in natural sugar and minimal sea salt.

So when my host offered me to eat some arrowroot, I said “yes”– I trusted them.  The color of the arrowroot is purple.  It looks like purple streaks inside of a potato type root.  The cooking preparation was “lightly boiled”.  To me it had the consistency of a fudge but it tasted slightly sweet.  I had never tasted anything like it before but knowing that it was nutrituous and high in potassium made it more enjoyable with every bite.

Like an invitation to eat of the ‘bread of life’, we must always remember that although  the taste may vary– we cannot always say “no” when given an invitation to eat.”  Someone prepared the table for us… and our eating says “thank you”.  Thank you for the sacrifice and so much more…

Before we left, our hosting team leader asked me to pray God’s blessings upon the house…so I did  and I was truly grateful and blessed that they had extended an invitation for me to eat.  Thought for today:  What invitation to eat has been extended to you? What will your answer be?

Walk a Little in My Shoes

When I was a little girl growing up in the early 60’s, I would always hear my mama singing an old spiritual/gospel hymn, “Walk with me, Lord, walk with me. Walk with me, Lord, walk with me | While I’m on this tedious journey, I want Jesus to walk with me.  As I grew older  those words became life for me.  [I still sing them often, as I cry out to God.  MY plea is for Him to be with me in everything– through it ALL. I want Him to lead the way.] I realized long ago that “Walk” is such a multidimensional word.  It also epitomizes my life in action  and how I always want to make sure that the Holy Spirit lives within me and saturates who I am.  As I’ve been looking at how we, as a society, often inject our views and opinions into other people’s lives– How they do or don’t praise God. My gentle reminder is… It’s important that we take a little time and walk in our sister or brother’s shoes. (or at least try to).  In the late 90’s I wrote this poem, “Walk a Little in My Shoes”, to remind myself about the many expressions of praising God in our walks… sometimes it’s quiet– sometimes it’s loud  but whatever way that we express our praise let it be reflective of our true place– Our Walk– Our Hearts.

Walk a Little in My Shoes

You look at me in wonder

Oh it seems so strange

The way I lift up Jesus

And sing praises to His name.

I jump on many occasions

Sometimes I stomp my feet

When I think of all He’s done

So much in just one week.

He healed my afflicted body

Gave peace to my weary soul

Provided food and shelter

An entire family clothed.

Oh it seems so strange

The way I scream and shout

But walk a little in my shoes

See how He brought me out.

He’s my counselor, my protector–

A light at the tunnel’s end

And when I’m feeling lonely

In Him I have a friend.

Keep walking in my shoes

For this you need to see

My Savior’s been a constant source

Everything I need Him to be.

I shout because I remember

Just where He brought me from

A place of desolation

The bottom of life’s drum.

Oh I scream and shout with laughter

It rings from within my soul

No one knows from whence He brought me

It was a bitter cup to hold.

Keep walking in my shoes

See everything I see

Why I praise my Lord and Savior

Who died to set me free.

I don’t always have the answers

My search seems to have no end

I’m often doused with questions

The enemy seems to send

So at times I’m loud and noisy

Other times I sit quietly

But whatever way I praise Him

A freedom it always brings.

Walk a little in my shoes

Open your eyes and see

We have a right to praise our Savior

Who paid with Calvary

Copyright 1999 Annie Ruth, Reprinted from Reflection: A Collection of Straight Talk and Inspirational Narratives.

What I want you to know sister

It warmed my heart to see so many young people at Dada Rafiki this past October. These young women in the photo made their outfits for that evening….Thank you again to the all of the committed youth leaders that brought young people out. I thought I’d share  [A choral love letter to our little sisters… written during My Sista My Friend Young Women’s Conference 2016 by adult conference participants.] I think it’s an appropriate message of what we should be pouring into our young sisters.

What I want you to know sister… You are you, and that is beautiful. You are you and that is wonderful. When I look at you I see love, hope, and beauty that I had something to do with. Beautiful imperfections that make perfection Love, peace, wisdom and understanding. You were created for a purpose here on earth. You have to surround yourself with things and people who lift you up and direct you to pursue your purpose. Don’t be afraid to dream big. Be a role model. Smart, innocent, a sponge soaking up life how it is taught. Do your best at everything you do. No limit to where you can go. Flow. In the Spirit. Fly on His wings. Embrace the King my Queen. You are worth it. Speak life into each other. You can turn your dreams into reality. Show love to whoever you meet. Pass it on. When you think better, You do better…you are better. Our Creator, Great and Mighty poured His love into you. Wonderfully made. The essence of love is you. Beauty bounces all over you. Your eyes smile. God sees you and smiles. You are his Beloved.