Lucille Clifton read poems from her new book, Voices. She talked about the importance of naming and knowing our own names.
We hear from the man on the cover of the Cream of Wheat box, Aunt Jemima, and Uncle Ben. What if they all took a walk together?
Cream of Wheat
sometimes at night
we stroll the market aisles
ben and jemima and me they
walk in front remembering this and that
i lag behind
trying to remove my chefs cap
wondering about what ever pictured me
then left me personless
Rastus
i read in an old paper
i was called rastus
but no mother ever
gave that to her son toward dawn
we return to our shelves
our boxes ben and jemima and me
we pose and smile i simmer what
is my name
from Voices by Lucille Clifton
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