picture by Romare Bearden(1911-1988)
"Card Players", 1982

Man I love the smell of late-nite
And the smell of the colour black
I love the sounds of cards smashing down
….and my daddy’s laugh
the smell of hard red filling there cups
and my uncle coming in from the job he works
he don’t play he just drink and talk shit
(that’s what my daddy say)
sometimes they don’t even remove there hats
they be yelling too like they mad
but they always come every week
when I suppose to be asleep
and daddy come in my room and check on me
he say I know you playing possum
and give me a treat……I smile and take it and he always say to me
you know you daddy’s best gurl

Man I love the smell of work grinded into clothes
And the smell of the colour black
I love the sounds of hard, old boots hitting wood floors
…..and my daddy’s laugh
the smell of oil light in our house
and mouse traps that daddy put down
and jinky get to stay out wit him
but I got to go to sleep
sometimes I wonder if dad give him a treat like me
but here comes my uncle chuck and herbie too
my other uncle Kevin be workin’ late and always comes in with the blues
talking shit too
(well, that’s what daddy said)
and my daddy is the smartest daddy I know….he always say to me
you know you daddy’s best gurl

Man I love the smell of worry spots in black hair
And the smell of the colour black
Cause I love my daddy
And he say
Even though momma cook for him
And wash his clothes
And lay wit him and help him wit chores
And his momma (grandmall) brought him
In this world….he says to “me”
You know you daddy’s best gurl
And I know he is right cause he is the smartest daddy I know