2PENS&LINT
a new direction in poetry
2 Pens & Lint LLC
P.O. Box 3292
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Say Hello
Say hello to my home, my hood
where helicopters hover over
the holy shout hallelujah
half pints question Jehovah
holding heat in one hand
holding pennies in the other
the pennies held holds
no heroes, they say we hopeless
our heroes turned hypocrite
like the haters of hip hop
who complain but
don’t buy quality albums
when they drop
would even hate on a poet
if that poet went pop
wouldn’t realize who’s shot
if this poet ever went pop,
Say hello to the bad guy
who really ain’t bad
but when the bad fake as good
then the good must fake as bad
just to separate themselves
from the ones who are bad in real life
I mean them poets
who never even respect the mic
til they step upon the stage
never studied e.e. cummings
so their poems suck on page
while k.p. speaks of longevity
when it comes to my destiny, it was written
this is more than me just spittin'
I’m recycling a talent that God has already given
did I mention my purpose,
Say hello to my home, my hood
where I scribble in scripts described by other scribes
Dr. Asante said we should never call them tribes
cause it’s demeaning to the place where we left our pride
inside the city my folks is still living true lives
working two jobs with one hustle on the side
copping the two piece with mashed potatoes on the side
pushing two strollers with one baby on her side
feeding three seeds with no husband by her side
still don’t think twice about letting brothers come inside
long as they come around on weekends and put gas in her ride
she doesn’t have a favorite poet
doesn’t come to open mics
but every few shows
I hear these poems that relate to her life
and “come on sister, where’s your self-respect?”
her self-respect is in our poems
it’s just that our poems are in the wrong place
our messages are dislocated
from the masses in our communities
disconnected
so say hello.
-Christopher K.P. Brown
-Say Hello is featured in New Day.