The Integration Of Ms. Cegenation Poem by ronald stroman

the Integration of Ms. Cegenation



ever since
i was freed from pickin'
the whiteman's cotton
when i got rid of him
down south
and he got rid of me
up north
he seems to have had
some deep ditch diggin' problems
with me
because i was.... no longer "held" hostage.

believe me this-

even after...
the Black History month of February
was federalized
many whitemen still denied
they liked women
the chocolate flavor of Oprah
which had nothing to do with
daylight changing to night
or some mixed-raced kids
mis-treated
by "they" white grandmother
who had a strong dislike for
Soul or Mexican food.

i say these things not
about the whiteman
out of dark jealousy
towards his blue-eyes
for turning over the controls
of the lawnmower to the Mexican
or because he no longer needs me
to shine his shoes while i'm smilin'
and singing
how happy i am
to be a second class citizen
in Atlanta, Georgia
(the city too busy to hate) .

i say these things out of integrated
un-segregated watermelon looove
my 11th grade teacher Ms.Cegenation
honestly showed me in 1973
that the whiteman
never ever gave the Colored woman
when he "chain-ganged" her
any time he wanted…
during those segregated un-integrated
times on the Master's plantation
where the whiteMistress had to know
a lot of vanilla yellow children
segregated & closely related
to her slave owning husband
workin' in the house
resembled some of her children
from his un-christian integrated penetration
of young slave girls
at night
and any other time: he felt like it.