Another Three
by Danette Allen
Welcome to the Block of the enslaved writers turned free
Where a meeting of three grew into six, and then became twelve
And now spans 25 years of Black storyteller legacy
Where muzzled voices are loosened and concealed ideas are revealed
Where pens and laptops deliver treasures most literary
Whether novelist, essayist or poet be
This Block is for those who write new history
Those who document their truth in fact and fiction
Those who dream in paragraphs and plot twists
Those who stride in stanza and rhyme
Amidst scratch pads and drafts
Vulnerable hubs of critiques and retreats
This Block remains the constant conduit
For writers who want to celebrate our stories
Like brown skin tones and curl-pattern celebrations
Or church ladies in fashionable hats who dish over tea
Or the old family secrets dredged up from the past
While friendship and black love go postal
And sex traffickers encounter the wrong Black woman
These are the tales of the proud Block
The strong community of expressive encouragers
Past and present
Honing this craft to parallel the times
So our language is intentional and impactful
Fortifying who we are and what we will be
For another 25 years, another 12, another six
Another three
Building Our Legacy
by Lei Scott
Verse 1:
We dream
We conceive
Create our thoughts into things
Building our legacies, we’re building our legacies
Verse 2:
We write
We sing
Imagining words into being
Building our legacies, we’re building a legacy
Chorus 1:
When we have gone
Leaving our stories, poems, and songs
A history from the years
Sharing our joys and tears
Like the rays of the sun
Shining on everyone
Verse 3:
We express
We reveal
From within what we truly feel
Building our legacies, we’re building our legacies
Verse 4:
We mold
We shape
Trusting God and our heritage of faith
As we build our legacies, building our legacies
Chorus 2:
When we have gone
We leave our stories, poems, and songs
A legacy that endears
Resting on listening ears
Shining bright, look up,
We are the stars in the night
Chorus 3:
Yes, when we’re gone
You’ll have our stories, poems, our songs
A legacy rich and divine
Are the jewels we leave behind
Like waters that flow
Glistening as we go
This is our legacy
This is our legacy
This is our legacy
We’re leaving our legacy Of love