Who Is God? (a poem for Helen Anderson, my mama)

By Jolivette Anderson ‘the poet warrior’

©March 2013 

(written to be performed live at the ‘March in March’ commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the March on Washington in 1913 by Women demanding the right to vote)

NOTE: words in quotations are from poems by Maya Angelou (Our Grandmothers) and Ntozake Shange (for colored girls /who’ve considered suicide/ when the rainbow/is enuf)

Esu Elegba

Walks the hallways of Purdue 

He takes my petition to my mothers  -- who

Take my prayers to Olo du ma re – who

Comes back to Purdue

Jumps into my mortal shell – and

Pushes me to tell

Each and every one of you that

GOD, yes, GOD, is a WOMAN too.

GOD is the great Mother, Ye ma ya  -- who

Dwells in the oceans and seas

Swelling our bellies with the 

Promise of future Divinities

GOD is Mama Oshun  -- a –

Warrior woman who would die – or – 

Be killed for what she believes in – JUSTICE. 

EQUALITY.

All the while, 

with sword in hand

with sweet honey 

--- dripping from her lips

To lure the unsuspecting, Ignorance

To entice the ever patronizing tone  --- that ---

Deemed me to be

LESS THAN and somehow 

OUTSIDE OF the

DEFINITION OF --- GOD.

With Her sweetness

She goes in for the kill

GOD is mi ori

Mama O ya

The Great Force of Nature

That is the wind

She makes her way to me as the hurricane --- who --- 

Destroys ignorance and inequality

Yes, GOD is a WOMAN just like me

God was…

A little Black girl

Her hands dark as coal 

Her strength made quiet 

Because of the time she was born into --- in ---  

1920, in the back woods of Louisiana

GOD cleaned homes --- and---

Nursed the children of White people --- who---

Were kind and 

Well intentioned – on --- 

Paved roads to racism  --- but ---

This was nothing new

It was what her Mother --- and ---

Her Mother before her knew

Racism smiles at us – often ---

While it kills our souls --- and ---

Leaves vestiges of generational trauma

--- I AM THE TRAUMA OF MY BLACK MAMAS ---

Excluded from participation

To march on this nation

GOD, oh GOD, 

GOD is a BLACK WOMAN 

Who used her notion of the American Dream

To achieve her goal of ---being---

College Educated 

Having 5 children (with my daddy!)  --- BOTH ---

Being present to raise them

GOD, taught school to Black Children --- who ---

Never had the same opportunities --- but ---

She loved them to a better understanding

Of being Black

By behaving --- with ---

Kindness --- mixed with---

A pinch of CRAZY – and ---

A Heart and Head filled with dignity

YES! God is a Black woman

GOD is the WOMAN who made me

GOD is the WOMEN who made me

And here I stand, microphone in hand

Screaming to Black female deities

!DO NOT BECOME SO TIPSY WITH THE PATRIARCHIAL POWERS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAT YOU CANNOT SEE – THE GOD IN ME!

How DARE you or ANYONE “dare deny me GOD

I WILL GO ALONE AND STAND AS 10,000” STRONG

Wrapped in Black ness

Black History

Black Culture

Black Thought

Honoring the BLACK WOMEN ---who ---

Fought for us to be here today  --- but ---

My dear Ladies, my Sisters in struggle

I am but 

ONE VOICE

ONE WAY OF SEEING

While my reflection is of

Goldleana Harris & Addie McCain

Helen & Rosie Mosley

Jamesetta & Ruthie Mae Anderson

I am also

Ella Baker & Fannie Lou Hamer

Sojourner Truth & Mary McCleod Bethune

I am the 20 young ladies of the Delta Sigma Theatas

The ONLY Black Women’s Organization to march in 1913

--- At the back of the line ---

But, --- who---

do you see, my sisters --- who ---

do you see, 

when you look into the mirror of 

NOW and the mirror of 

WOMENS’ history

I see

Self love --- and ---

Dignity 

I see a 

!BIG BLACK WOMAN!

You must go forth, in your mission STRONG  --- and ---

“find GOD … 

in your SELF --- and ---

Love   ---  HER --- FIERCELY

Find GOD in YOURSELF and Love HER –fiercely.”