Apr 4, 2018
âI have written a poem for a woman who rides a bus in New York City. Sheâs a maid, she has two shopping bags. When the bus stops abruptly, she laughs. If the bus stops slowly, she laughs. I thought, âMmm, a-ha.â Now, if you donât know black features, you may think sheâs laughing. But she wasnât laughing. She was simply extending her lips and making a sound. I said, âOh, I see.â Thatâs that survival apparatus. Now, let me write about that to honor this woman who helps us to survive.â Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (2016) dir. Rita Coburn & Bob Hercules
