Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon

we don have no backyard

frontyard neither

we got black magic n brownstone steps

when the sun go down

we don have no backyard

no sof grass rainbow kites mushrooms butterflies

we got South Philly summer

when the sun go down

cool after lemonade n black eye peas

full after ham hocks n hot pepper greens

corn bread coolin on the stove

n more to watch than tv

we got double dutch n freeze tag n kickball

so many places to hide n seek n

look who here Punchinella Punchinella

look who here Punchinella inna Zoo

we got the ice cream man

we got the corner store

red cream pop

red nails Rick James the Bump the Rock

n we know all the cheers

we got pretty lips

we got callous feet healthy thighs n ashy knees

we got fiiine brothas we r fiiine sistas

n

we got attitude

we hold mamma knees when she snap the naps out

we got gramma tell her not to pull so hard

we got sooo cleeen cornrows when she finish

n corn bread cool on the stove

So you know

we don really want no backyard

frontyard neither

cuz we got to call out the moon

wit black magic n brownstone steps

Ruth Forman, (1993). We Are the Young Magicians. Boston: Beacon Press