Today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that relies on repetition. It can be repetition of a phrase, or just a word.

i opened the box to my black joy
it spilled out it covered my fingers
i wiped my tears away
i streaked my face with this smudge
this shade this shadow
this sweet dust
this star space
this shimmering surreal sidewalk
on a new york night

i had been dancing in my black joy
body rolling against strangers
who were all so shocked i was glee
ecstacy, was unbroken
was in my power
was magic
was spinning a golden thread
from my left hip
off that rooftop in brooklyn

long before i learned to cultivate black joy
i found myself feeling whole
because something showed through
the fog and the Secret
the life death life death in my heel
the held breath
the faux goddess
the running and running and running –
i showed through

i got gathered into black joy
got delivered got spent
got lifted up and plunged deep down
got left with
gifted and offered
got caught by
and filled up to overflowing with
got spilled over my own edges
with black joy