Dandelion Black.

By Tamarra Starr Seward

Tamarra Starr Seward is an award-winning spoken word artist. In her freshman compilation of poetry, she strives to highlight the shared beauty of the natural world and the experience of being a black woman. This project is a celebration of struggle, victory, and joy; a remembrance of the adage that "life will always find a way"; and a prayer for a brighter future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781312752917

Book preview

DANDELION

BLACK.

-STARR

TAMARRA STARR SEWARD

Copyright © 2021 Tamarra Starr Seward.

All rights reserved.

Published by Tamarra Starr Seward / Lulu.com

ISBN 978-1-312-75291-7

DandelionBlack.net

[e-mail]

DEDICATION

For my little brown girl

And all the little brown girls

That wish

And fly

And dare to come true.

CONTENTS

LITTLE BROWN GIRL

FACT.

THE SUN

BE-LEAF

MAHALIA’S POEM

MOMMYWILL

FACT.

26.       THE MOON

30.      SPECIAL

36.      PENNYBABIES

42.      FLOWERS FOR ASHES

48.      DIMEPIECE

53.      FACT

55.      THE STARS

59.      MY BLACK WOMAN

67.      REMNANT PATCH

73.      CHICKEN LITTLE

79.      DANDELION BLACK

84.      I AM

90.      FACT.

LITTLE BROWN GIRL

When my little brown girl

Was just past baby

Before she knew her colors well enough

To look down at her beautiful self

And say brown

Or to know brown meant black

Or to know what black meant

Back then

When the mouth of my baby

Was too small to say

Dandelion

She would call them

Wishes.

FACT.

Dandelions are the only flower

that through the phases of their life cycle 

Come to represent all three heavenly bodies

sun, moon, and stars.

The yellow flower

imitates the sun

The white puff of seeds

resembles the moon

and the seeds in flight

are the stars.

The universe is black

Like me.

THE SUN

We are walking home from the store

Pit stop between bus stop and rest

It has been a long day

Sun setting, wind blowing

My little brown girl is singing

She is all pony-tails and ball-balls

Sticky happy

eating a yellow lollipop

Singing

She squeals,

Mommy do you see them?

Eyes bright

Look at all the wishes flying

She points up and off

And there in mid-air

is a cloud of dandelion seeds

Floating                  Flying

Fairy dusted in orange

They glisten like foil dust

from scratch-off lotto tickets

Receipts of disappointment

thrown outside the corner store

paving our way home

I wonder if they would fly like wishes

If they weren't so heavy

With desperation

Mommy do you see them?

grubby fingers tugging my skirt

Yes baby.

Sugar kissed smile widening

With her yellow lollipop wand

My little brown girl is magic

Declares with a flick of her wrist

And they’ll all come true

Satisfied

She is singing again

Swinging our held hands

I squeeze her little one

Just a bit tighter

I don’t tell her -

We too are these

Wishes on the wind

Hoping to be blown high and far

Past this place

where they sow seeds of despair

where they let it take root

and run wild

until it paves our way home