invisiblinging-ning-ing–ing–ing–ing-ing …
(grinding in the night thighs covering our eyes
mathematizing the worms of our own demise) 

hooch’n dis hooch’n so’cause it hooch’n dis who
slow twirl’n regurgitating like every body else too
we snorting re-emulations each one of the others 
here in the throats of our same dark holding
watchin the lips so how dey smooth slick snide’n
shuffling here on this stage keep’n’us all abide’n
hooch’n dis hooch’n so’cause it hooch’n dis who
slow twirl’n regurgitating like every body else too
hypnotized-ing pawns robotically swoon’n on
ensconcing here in the lap of abusing mis-usings
by hang’n on to denying that this what’us seeing
is our own selves here right there as our thems
yuh aint need’n no lottery ’cause everybody we in
us over dose’n fuh duh need’n uv feel’n “i win”
spin’n in the spin’n try’n to mask our giving-up
as this insidious pervers-a-nationing
is rabidly imbibing all of us all
with all of us entangling every one of us all
hooch’n dis hooch’n so’cause it hooch’n dis who
slow twirl’n regurgitating like every body else too
if i aint do’n dis what other else is i can doing
superlatrating this desperationing pretending
here strutting all out loud in this distending OM
patty-cake patty-cake nursing the rhyme
step for stepping us all us here in time
hooch’n dis hooch’n so’cause it hooch’n dis too
swirling surging all around in the purging
of this swallowed-ing mime

Copyright © 1993, 2013, 2014 Asili Ya Nadhiri

rolling eyes seamlessly drifting always shifting
fondling syllabating edges mumbling in our daring
bumping up against themselves grabbing for ballast
in rounding corners of this darkening-ness
they wilting repetitions chewing social-lations
from shuffling prisms of somebody’s else-ing
’round’n’round in the emptying arms
of our furthering impoundings 

glancing om here dancinged on

robotic people warehousing sundownings
everyone ‘head of being ‘hind of the other
strutting on well-worn catwalks prancing
on out of the closets opening-up all around us
placebos colliding and too scared to stop talking
pushing this serpentining rubric  accelerating on
trying to hide here behind  these old undergrounds

this desperationing behind our prosthetic grinning
is terrorizing in the waving of its souring breath
digitizing pupils consecrated on altars of stealth
the rabid spinning of this limbo-nic prowling
is spreading here shrouding over all us all
herding us on in numbing re-runnings
swallowing us all on down inside
our desecrating caverning
of all us all

Copyright © 2014 Asili Ya Nadhiri

*Carver Curbing

coming slowly sitting there ones-by-ones
leaning ‘gainst the sides of this wall-less stall
monolithic in illustrious nefarious illusionings
they swaddling in a delusional mid-knightening
caressing the jaws of this carnivorous darkening

magnetic syrupy corners sticking sneaker-ing shoes
of elderless circlings hooching to a loquacious blues
plum lips sucking smoke as the gist of this tryst
all here so being there in a yondering no where
squat’n here scared roll’n’up in this rusing
spilling on into twilighting twilightenings
rapping so ‘cause they hearing no drums

they spinning their tales of wanton plunderings
for filling emptying bags of a desperate longing
arrested in the mouthing of vicarious sunderings
so being any where there but here some where

surreal enrapturing in knee-jerking vagaries
try’n to hide from the silence erase’n them here
in the addicting embouchure-ings embracing
here in this swallow’n womb

each turned-out pocket is a notion seen’n small
but the fate of one flag is the same for us all
reaching out in a traitorous enthralling gall
vociferizing mesmerizing scandalizing too
camouflaging in the swooning of supposing foils

they looking at one another for any other who
do’n a sump’n else so make’n them a special few
swirling in wondering scared of all alone
like most the rest of us here  we all doing too

*A large neighborhood served by
 Carver Middle School in Orlando, Florida

Copyright © 2014 Asili Ya Nadhiri

rolling eyes seamlessly drifting always shifting
fondling syllabating edges mumbling in our daring
bumping up against themselves grabbing for ballast
in rounding corners of this darkening-ness
they wilting repetitions chewing social-lations
from shuffling prisms of somebody’s else-ing
’round’n’round in the emptying arms
of our furthering impoundings 

glancing om here dancinged on

robotic people warehousing sundownings
everyone ‘head of being ‘hind of the other
strutting on well-worn catwalks prancing
on out of the closets opening-up all around us
placebos colliding and too scared to stop talking
pushing this serpentining rubric    accelerating on
trying to hide here behind  these old undergrounds

 this desperationing behind our prosthetic grinning
is terrorizing in the waving   of its souring breath
digitizing pupils consecrated on altars of stealth
the rabid spinning  of this limbo-nic prowling
is spreading here shrouding over all us all
herding us on in numbing re-runnings
swallowing us all on down inside
our desecrating caverning
of all us all

Copyright © 2014 Asili Ya Nadhiri

Kano Women
(of Kano, Nigeria) 

the women here have cocoa colored glances
always seeming to go somewhere else
their bodies are covered in long wraps of cloth
dipped in many colors bright
made out in the sun
walking tall along long dirt paths
child tied there on her back
a bucket full of water resting here on her head
her delicate shoulders quietly nestled
smoothly flowing softly going
in the gentle swaying whisper of her presence
here in this baked desert land cool
water she’s sipped pouring here through our hands
coming there in my eyes going here otherwise
everywhere and besides
so silent so heard
the resonance of melodious words

Copyright © 1990, 2015 Asili Ya Nadhiri

these few little row houses
they so small
and all stack up in here
on top’uh one another
that even when i home
i was always here next door
and going to school when i did
smelling just like
somebody else’s last night pee
then after while
my nose it done forgot
and everything here it all started smelling
it smelling just like it me

the numbing

everything in here changing
just like it always staying the same
and it keep on rubbing
and rubbing all close all up against you
slow grinding
up around you like this
‘til then you just dont feel it no more
when long ‘fore it known
all the what you ever wanted be gone
and everything here it all be seeming
it seeming just like it you

Copyright © 1995 Asili Ya Nadhiri

mazinged
(mazing-duh in thuh *Canterburying-duh) 

in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound
some where-ing-duh in’us head
turning over’n’over in a masturbating rhyme
syncopating marching to a synthesizing time
in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound

formed us warm born delta brown’s
hardly wandering ‘round amongst’us
found here and there bound
way down underground
in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound
some where-ing-duh in’us head
turning over’n’over in a masturbating rhyme
syncopating marching to a synthesizing time
in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound

us strangers here staring
running out at us selves
crashing on into on into one another
scattering on narrowing dirt paths
in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound
some where-ing-duh in’us head
turning over’n’over in a masturbating rhyme
syncopating marching to a synthesizing time
in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound
in a   slow   low   mo’ humping sound

*Canterbury is an extremely impoverished “ghetto”
in Mantego Bay, Jamaica.

[/audio ]

Copyright © 2003 Asili Ya Nadhiri

friday night quiet’n
(a portrait)

this dark it fulled
of longed africaned legs
they done-d running on
there is no distant drumming
no thickened plum lips they humming
no sundown peopling
laying sun
it going-d

grey worn abandoned-ning corners
they smooth angular neckbones standing
rubbing together dry grinding
in this low loud bellowing silence
of themm-d rhythm-mated cold
they soft body tones

no shadows to mark the time
on and on and on go passing
ancient ghosts they give no shelter
for the bared naked asses
the dreams there is
none brung that waken
the eyes who wide they dozing

this dark it fulled
of longed africaned legs
they done-d running on
there is no distant drumming
no thickened plum lips they humming
no sundown peopling
laying sun

it going-d

Copyright © 2003 Asili Ya Nadhiri

atlantic mooring

glistening sheets of scrolling waters
drumming on in resounding billows
wet humming oracles unfolding there
nourishing darkening trepidationings
reverently enthralling wondering tongues
in loud roaring echoes leaving their trace
undauntingly entangling on
here across your face

by the stark emancipationing of this moon
staring on through cavern crevices homemade
silently kneading assuaging this fear inside
wrap’n’round the musclings of our strides
so these bronze shackled imprinting soles
aint froth aloning for the leave of wet sands
drying scared in hubrisating emulationings
who here begging unbeknowingly awaiting
the mutual beholding of kindred hands
emanating of our native humane

obediently you feeding this tumultuous
flooding here in our wondering souls
with snarling notion-nings crashing there
attacking foreboding wallings of this hold
nourishing the epic will of all them daring . . .
when so quietlying on back out on into then
and now on your way forth on up here again
embracing us all in this womb with your sway
pronouncing on and on of this cosmic way

Copyright © 1983, 2014 Asili Ya Nadhiri

borned bound i borned
and bound again
then i borning borned
re-bound again 

this drumm i beating on me
(for Bud Powell) 

strolling wandered ‘round this
feeling for where sump’n that it warm
dimming moist repensive eyes
staring here over there
reaching at one another
‘cross soft woodening faces
burnt burning cold

but this some thing in here
that it trying to keep on wombing
swelling all up in me
that this dark swollen hold
that undulating my soul
and perpetrating this mould
this thing what it give me this cover
making me making me made
too numb to dare

hands they with no fingers
reaching out of they bones
fulling white rings smeared
‘round dark hungry mouths
who they running and running
from they running and running
and running and running
they nursing and nursing the fearing-ed
what onto that that they held
that they holding on
snacked-on here eating
in swallowing undergrounds

but this some thing in here
that it trying to keep on wombing
swelling all up in me
that this dark swollen hold
that undulating my soul
and perpetrating this mould
this thing what it give me this cover
making me making me made
too numb to dare

Copyright © 2003 Asili Ya Nadhiri