The Butterfly Effect: A Poetic Call to Action

Foreword

I love words.
I love word play.
I love simile and metaphor, double entendre and innuendo.
I love reference and inference.
I love writing poetry.
But sometimes…
It hurts.

Prepare to listen, learn, and be deeply moved as you read these 34 poems--most of them short, many of them angry, and all of them ringing with truth.

While the first several poems address historical outrages, such as slavery, lynchings, poll taxes, redlining, and medical maltreatment and neglect of Blacks, subsequent poems deal with more recent events that captured headlines worldwide, including the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021. “May Day,” a mere 12 lines long, is a powerful tribute to George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor’s death merits two poems.

“The Conversation” is a heartbreaking expression of Black parents’ need to talk with their young sons about the very real dangers they face in this society as they reach adolescence and adulthood.

As you read, as you listen, you will encounter not just strong emotions, but subtle literary references, ingenious rhymes, and compelling rhythms. “Freedom Song” has as its leitmotif the stirring beat of a drum.

It is easy to imagine many of these memorable poems being set to music. One can hope that someday soon, they will be.