Black Cast Grin
an ekphrastic sample poem for the 2025 Met Gala
May we dust off PawPaw’s monocle,
have it recast, make it sharp
with a lens that see how Black we be in the future.
May we gather pocket watches,
reclaim the lost time
of brothers and uncles,
superfine, too tailored to like,
and women who stepped out of line.
Praise our Lupita blue butterflies
and Tracee pink booty beauty,
but hold up a mirror and a spotlight
to Lizzo, damn, she the one,
Teyana, chic and mannish,
and Doechii, a n****1 and that b***h.
Collective Black resilience.
Whoopi been doing dandy.
Our sister threatened Mister
so someone fixed their face,
ignored the color purple to call her ugly.
All while singing and dancing
about wanting to be somebody.
I pray we go somewhere in our dreams
before we wake up to our lives and pay attention.
May we rise over the hill
of our former yellow sunshine glory.
We let the clears say anything,
get out and away with murder -
no metaphor -
but ask dark skin and strong features
to wipe their nose
before they cry in front of us,
to read books we’ve never touched
before they voice in front of us.
For at least once
our EGOT Gold rocked a style
folx been mocking for a decade.
And that smile was no act.
I hope every n**** basks in this moment
and that we agree to milk it
for more than 17 years
colored people time is so long overdue.
May we step out in our white hats
and show the world our sheer asses,
make sure the masses hear.
Handle our scandals in our headquarters,
our big house.
Brick built with the art we are.
Now our hands in the cookie jar,
we ain’t leavin’ no crumbs.
Colman Domingo and Dapper Dan
designed and baked this for our table,
the one we set ourselves.
Three varieties - past, present, future.
too many unnamed flavors -
femme, masc, enby,
and a bunch more to savor on fingertips,
not quite sure which spice it is.
Not Black like pepper
or like oven burnt
but brownBlack earth Tree of Life,
rich color like the first material capable of fire.
Time for them to see the art we always been.
Every n**** deserves to be part of the conversation.
May we cast our grills in turquoise
drape protection around us - no cape -
Step up goldfronts, guild our braces,
be visibly aligned,
smile,
glisten disco ball silver,
open hearted,
orange and burgundy rooted in culture.
It’s our kitchen now too.
Company comes when we say.
Feel like we ain’t never been more ready
to overstay our welcome.
The sky here still raining ancestor tears
at how beautiful we are,
we art, my nigga,
unashamed.
I was signed up for a live viewing of the Met Gala because Black dandyism had been in my IG algo for a month. But I couldn’t get to the Zoom or the TV that night. My outfit appreciation scrolling and sharing to IG stories began late Sunday night and carried through work Monday. I had also been watching the brand Every N**** Deserves (E.N.D.) tease and then roll out their Colored People Time campaign. When I saw Shaboozey’s turquoise grill, I reposted it in E.N.D.’s style and tagged their art affiliate saying: “Every n**** deserves to BE ART.” When I saw Khaby Lame’s vest decorated with a collection of pocket watches, and heard Brian Tyree Henry telling Blavity that our time to shine was overdue, I reposted Khaby’s photo and tagged E.N.D. with “It’s Colored People Time.”
Then on Tuesday, I saw Whoopi Goldberg, who been dandy, in her outfit that was so her and she had this incredibly huge full-face smile! I kid you not, I got tears in my eyes, seeing how happy and beautiful she is and how we were displayed in so much glory. So I decided to write a poem, y’know, because that’s what I do. And it came out so good, and people responded with so much appreciation.
Lots of people have had their critiques for the Met Gala red carpet, saying there wasn’t enough color (I agree) or flamboyance (I agree). And I posted a response to something saying that we can love the beauty we are while also asking ourselves to go further and do more. That’s what I always want.
Thank you very much! 🖤✊🏾