POET LUCILLE CLIFTON, I’m ashamed to say, was unknown to me until a recent afternoon spent soaking in literature procrastinating at the incredible Academy of American Poets website, poets.org.
She’s an American treasure, a prolific poet and author, a recipient of just about every major poetry award or fellowship you could think of (if you were thinking of such things) and her poem “sisters” is one that just made me want to cry, dance and sing. Sometimes, poetry just does that to me.
sisters
me and you be sisters.
we be the same.me and you
coming from the same place.me and you
be greasing our legs
touching up our edges.me and you
be scared of rats
be stepping on roaches.me and you
come running high down purdy street one time
and mama laugh and shake her head at
me and you.me and you
got babies
got thirty-five
got black
let our hair go back
be loving ourselves
be loving ourselves
be sisters.only where you sing,
I poet.
Enjoy, and to learn more, read this biography, and treasure this list of favorite Clifton poems selected by Clifton’s longtime editor. Also, be sure to check out our recent poetry show, curated by Anna Clarke, read about commonplacing, and most all, reemember–poetry has power.
(Thanks to BOA Editions for the image of Lucille Clifton, and PoemHunter for the text of “sisters.”)
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Oh! I actually just discovered Clifton myself – through Ani Difranco’s first album, on which “Lost Woman Song” is dedicated to her…funny the paths sisterhood takes.
wow.
Perfection in a poem. We are so grateful to you for this. Thank you.
be loving ourselves…. how powerful
thx, and I’m definitely going to read her work.
Astounding in such a wonder filled way. Thanks so much for shining a light here.
good grief, it kills me
I may not “got babies / got thirty-five,” but I still love this poem. I’m glad you mentioned the Academy’s website, though, actually, the URL for that is: http://www.poets.org (not poetry.org). I keep going back there. My favorite’s “blessing the boats”–
Thanks everyone, for your enthusiasm–I just was bowled over by this poem. And special thanks to P., for correcting my mistake in the link–it’s fixed now!