MAHATTAN PROPER ROARED..CREATE DEBUTE

WELL AS YOU KNOW ..I'VE BEEN WORKING ON MY POEMS FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW..ON NOVEMBER 22..I FINALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ..THE PLACE..MANHATTAN PROPER..THE TIME..11:00PM..I GOT THERE AT 10:17 P.M...AS I APPROACH THE DOOR..MY FRIEND ABDULLAH WAS THERE TO ASCORT ME TO THE STAGE..WHERE ALL THE OTHER POETS WERE STANDIN..MY GIRLFRIEND ROBERTA WAS READY..SHE HAD HER HAT COCKED TO THE SIDE..WITH HER BRAIDS HANGING OUTSIDE HER HAT...THE PLACE WAS RAMLING PACKED..I ASK HIM WHERE WAS THE BATHROOM...U SEE..I HAVE A LIL RITUAL ABOUT GOING ON WITHOUT PRAYER BE4 ANYTHING TAKES PLACE..SO I WIPED MY FACE...SAID A PRAYER WITH ROBERTA...WHERE SHE STARTED PRACTICING..WHERE I HAD MY 2 POEMS..I WAS SCHEDULE TO READ ONE..BUT I BROUGHT 2 BECAUSE ..JUST IN CASE ..THEY HAD A LOW VOLUME OF POETS..I BROUGHT ONE FROM MY UP AND COMING BOOK..."GOD SPELLED MY RHYTHM 2 RHYME POETICALLY"..A TITLE 2B DISPLAYED BY CREATE,,YEAH I KNOW..BUT IT CAME WITH DA TERRITORY..LOL..SO WHEN WE PUT OUR NAMES ON THE COMPUTERIZED NAME LIST..THE CALL FOR CREATE POPPED UP..WHERE I WAS SO NERVOUS THAT MY KNEES WERE ACTUALLY KNOCKING TOGETHER..WHEN I WENT OUT THERE ..AT FIRST..THE AUDIENCE STARTED CLICKING EVEN B4 I OPEN MY MOUTH..I WORE A PAIR OF BROWN BELLBOTTOMS AND A BLOUSE THAT SAYS SUGAH MOMMA IN GOLD AND BROWN LETTERS WITH ORANGE BACKGROUND..WITH AN MEDAL EMBLEM ON MY LEFT HAND SIDE SHOULDER ..MADE IN2 THE BLOUSE..AND BROWN BOOTS..I THOUGHT I LOOKED LIKE 1970s ALL OVER AGAIN..FELT GOOD THOUGH..AS I COMMENCE TO SPEAKING...THE OWNER OF THE CLUB CAME UP TO ME AND ASK.. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SENSE I LAST DID MIC NITE..I ANSWERED..IT'S MY FIRST TIME IN QUEENS..WHERE DID U DO IT MIC NITE B4..AGAIN I SAID..NOT IN QUEENS BUT IN MAHATTAN..AT THE SHOWSPOT CAFE ..EVERBODY WENT BEZERK FOR A MINUTE..COZ MY SON HOOKED THAT UP FOR ME...BUT U GOT TO BE AT LEAST 4 OR 5 MONTH IN ADVANCE TO EVEN GET A CALL..HE WAS LIKE..THAT'S A GOOD SPOT..SO U SHOULD BE FEELIN GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF TONITE..FIRST TIME AND ALL HERE..I REPLIED..WELL I AM NERVOUS..THE ANNOUCERS NAME WAS GARY B..HE'S BEEN AROUND ..I'VE SEEN HIM BEFORE..SO ON THE OTHER HAND..WE GOT THE SHOW ROLLIN..LIKE I SAID..I READ..MY FAVORITE..CRYSTAL CHALICE FROM AN BLACK ONYX IMAGE..IT TELLS THE STORY ABOUT A LIGHT SKIN BLACK SISTAH..LIVING IN A WORLD WITH A KNOWN INDENTITY..NO COMMON ADVERSITIES..JUST GROWING ..KNOWING ONE BEING OTHER THAN..LIKE NO OTHER...THE OTHER WASPOEM WAS ONE I WROTE FOR MY FRIEND IN TEXAS..THANKING HER FRIENDSHIP WITH OUT A PLACE TO LIVE AFTER THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND AND SON ..WHO DIED OF CANCER..IT TOUCHED THE CROWD QUITE A BIT..BUT THE OTHER ONE..DID A JOB ON THE SISTAHS IN DA AUDIENCE..THEY GOT REAL QUIET AT FIRST..BUT WHEN I STARTED CALLING OUT..WHO AM I 2 YOU AND WHAT ARE U 2 ME..WHEN CLOVER WEARS MY CLOAK AND DAGGER..IT WEAPS MY SKIN..THE WOMAN STARTED CLAPPIN ..CLIKING..STANDING..SOME TEARS STARTED FALLIN ..I HAD THAT AUDIENCE IN DA PALMS OF MY HANDS..THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ME FILLING U IN ON MY NIGHT..IT BECAME ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS I HAD EVER TAKEN PART IN..I HAD WOMAN COMING UP TO ME ASKNG ME WHEN IS MY BOOK COMING OUT..BUT DUE TO THE ECONOMY..IT'S TAKING ME A LIL LONG FOR PUBLICATION..IT'S BEEN ON HOLD FOR ABOUT A YEAR..FINANCIAL PROBLEM..BUT NOT NO MORE..GOT ANOTHER PUBLISHER CALLING ME FOR THE RIGHTS TO GO ON AND FINISH MY PROJECT..MY SON IS MY OVERSEER..GOT TO WORK IT OUT WITH HIM..HE'S HELPED ME SO MUCH..I AM BLESSED TO HAVE HIM AND THE OTHERS WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING.. ILLUSTRATION ARE STILL ON STAND BY..WAITING TO COMMERCE ON THIS MATTER..BUT IN ALL..I HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE..LOVED MYSELF FOR GETTIN OUT THERE AND MAKING IT BECOME SPOKEN WORD..I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD..I DENIED MYSELF...CAN'T BLAIM ANYONE BUT ME...NOW I KNOW DIFFERENT..JUST GOTTA SHAKE THOSE NERVES AWAY..I HAD 2 START A LIL BIT OVER ..BUT EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD..THAT'S WHAT I CALL..COOOPERATION AND RESPECT FOR THE ARTIST..THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT..PEACE 2 U ...SHEILA.T JORDAN..AKA CREATE