Black Love Poetry is mainly from African-American poets

My last selections of Modern black love poetry are as varied as the previous examples. They exhibit all the brazen daring of the present, read like the lyrics of a popular song, and all without exception express the preoccupation of young urban African-American people with amor, 21st Century style!

Don't Understand

by Etienne Bryant

I don't understand how people

can stay in a realtionship and hurt.

I don't understand how people

mistake feelings for love.

I don't understand how people,

just do not have the courage to leave.

I don't understand how people,

hate the feeling of being lonely.

I don't undertand how people,

look any and everywhere for love.

I don't understand how people,

let jealousy take over.

I don't understand how people,

fall so quickly.

I don't how people,

put thereself last and others first.

I guess I don't understand

Myself.

I Can Take you

by Shyonda Adams

I can take you

a take time daddy

give your clock a good jump start

but dont come if you aint ready

and you cant finish what you start

cause im like hmmmmmmmm

i can warm you in the morning

with huney huggin ease

introduce you to the forrest

and make you wanna rename all the trees

said im like hmmmmmm

rock candy baby

im sweet but known to be real hard

said im like rock candy baby

sweet but known to be real hard

but if you a popcorn and salt perfering papa

dont come round here creeping

dont waste none of your time peepin

all up in my

double dipped/chocolate chip/minty ice

ohhhhhh so nice

i said my honey dipped/ sweetly chipped

suger'd ice/so very nice

let not waste any of our time

all up in my...all in my....candy jar

As a prime example of the brashness of modern black love poetry, you cannot find a better model than this. The poet flaunts her charms before her hapless object of desire, as much of a challenge as an invitation!

Dare he take her up on her promise to... 'give your clock a good jump start' or would he rather retreat gracefully if he is just 'a popcorn and salt perfering papa'

Not for the faint-hearted! Is it?

My last two examples of modern black love poetry are again quite interesting contrasts. One declaims with disdain, the shabby treatment of a selfish lover, while the other glorifies the virtues of her 'Black Man' in a vigorous ode a la stereotype!

by Rose Musoke-Nteyafas

I love you,

You keep telling me,

But I know it's not true.

I will take care of you,

You keep on promising me

But you never lived up

To your vows

I cherish you

You keep on assuring me

When you step on me

Everyday

And treat me like trash.

I will die for you

You keep convincing yourself

Because you are

Too self-centered

To think about others

But yourself.

What a Black Man Does to Me

by Shaneka Bynum

he is a tight verse over a kanye beat

smooth and acoustic

makes me want to play the entire album

daring anyone to touch the playlist

opens me up like a nite with the gurls

spending money and enhancing memories

over who can suck and not bite

tootsie roll blow pops

skin thirsts for his love

like after a hot shower

shrivelled up

pheening for sesame seed lotion

he is the driving force behind

reason why words come together

to form platinum selling albums

romantic $2.99 hallmark cards

why diamonds last forever

body shaking

victoria's secretions thrown in all directions

like a picasso painting of a love scene

artistic

magestic

on bending knee

lighting bath and body candles

caught on sale

with rasta incents

glooming downstairs

to fragrance the freshly picked red rose petals

which lead to my divine

he is the reason

why i feel like i own the world

with no Grammy's to show

no record deals

or fashion line

and no Condolezza Rice security vocabulary

its because when i am with him

its like having Figi in my bathroom

the essences of Japan in my kitchen

and the culture of Africa in my bedroom

bad credit, good credit, no credit all at

i give this man the respect to check my credit

while giving him credit is due

bills paid on time

no finance charges

a vacation packed away in Rubbermaid

containers under my bed

Bermuda, Brazil and Maui

just a bottle away

from a lemon and Barcadi

splash of rum

dipping down my thong

he is the reason for ice water

the cause for a hearts freedom

and the reason why big mama is called big mama

he is the Black man

the essence of my earth

the beginning to my demise

the end of doubt

he is the Black man

built Ford tough

but tender in his loins

Gravy and biscuits

He is um um um Good

Like Campbells

the quaker to my wants

and the oats to my root

he is the black man

Praise indeed. I hope you have enjoyed my fine selection of modern black love poetry. Let us now take a look at what more famous exponents have made of black love poetry:

Famous Black Love Poetry 1

African 1

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