Michelle McCleary brings us today’s poem. Michelle is a long time activist in the independent movement and President of the Metro NY Chapter of the National Black MBA Association.
Here is what Michelle writes about “Ego Tripping”:
Ego Tripping by Nikki Giovanni is one of my favorite poems. The poem reminds me of the power and beauty of women: not only do we figure out how to make a way out of no way on a daily basis, but we carry and give birth to other human beings!! I just wish that women could remember this as they/we doubt ourselves, stay silent or act dumb in the presence of men, and compete with each other for crumbs. We deserve the whole cake!!”
Ego Tripping by Nikki Giovanni
I was born in the Congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star that only glows every one hundred years falls
Into the center giving divine perfect light
I AM BAD
I sat on the throne drinking nectar with Allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to Europe to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is Nefertiti the tears from my birth pains created the Nile
I am a beautiful woman
I gazed on the forest and burned out the Sahara desert
With a packet of goat’s meat and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift, so swift you can’t catch me
For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son Hannibal an elephant
He gave me Rome for mother’s day
My strength flows ever on
My son Noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
As we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was Jesus
Men intone my loving name
All praises, all praises
I am the one who would save
I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
The filings from my fingernails are semi-precious jewels
On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew my nose giving oil to the Arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off the earth as I went
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid across three continents
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission
I mean … I … can fly
Like a bird in the sky
Our celebration of National Poetry month continues throughout April with poems chosen or written by P4P members.
This is one of my favorite poem…beautiful!
This is beautiful, Michelle. I love her work but never read this one. Thanks for this reminder of who we are.