OPINION Editor’s note: POOR Magazine, one of my favorite publications, holds an annual benefit on Valentine’s Day featuring a “Battle of ALL the Sexes” poetry slam. This year’s event, hosted by Alexandra Byerly, had a mixed-martial arts theme and was held in an eight-foot cage built by artist Will Steel in the Submission Gallery in the Mission District. Judges were La Mesha Irizarry, Devorah Major and Laure McElroy. I agreed to publish the first- place winner, which follows. Find the second and third place winners on sfbg.com on the Politics blog. (Tim Redmond)
By Jewnbug
(this Battle came from the battle: Educated Ghetto Gurl vs. The Society)
Educated ghetto gurrl
born in a place
conditioned for death
raised on government cheese
parents targeted to be dope feens
houseless n hungry
society wants me to be ignorant
but ain’t no dummy
got wize to tha mizeducation
of yo surveillance
projects
public skools
prizions
U.S. military enlistings
never assimilating or listening
stay thug life
resisting
rising to tha top
singing ghetto supastar!
Consciousness
cultivated underground
can’t afford yo brand name labels
making my fashion talk of tha town
rebel with a cause
speaking out against
yo policies, protocalls, laws
prohibited my native tongue
pigeon
slang
Ebonics
U ain’t my god
n I ain’t yo son
speaking too loud too fast
causing lyrical whiplash
I smash on u
U thinking u more dignified
cuz I rock a shoelace fo a belt on sum jeans
please!
U put me down
then capitalize on my swagger
like, “that’s hella ghetto”
I don’t play tho
no diplomatic tactful rage
straight up in yo face
u label me
trouble maker
that’s code for
truth teller
fo real for real
no faker
I know tru essence of success
despite the mess
of yo civilized vest
my interest to do more then survive
manifest
came when I held my head high
with no shame
yea I’m from the ghetto
n I’m doing big thangs
educated ghetto gurrl
she was kung fu fighting
she was always writing
educated ghetto gurrl
puttin’ whole society on trial
n bringing them to their knees