Nikki Giovanni
(1943- )
I think what hooked me was the title and the first four lines:
ever been kidnapped by a poet if I were a poet
i’d kidnap you
The poem is a seduction, direct but sweet, the kind one might experience from a mature woman rather than a young coquette. She rattles the saber of seduction—her “phrases”—but does not eliminate direct action, a trip to the shore or, more promisingly, “maybe just to my house”. This is one focused lady who has set her heart on a lucky guy. In the final action the young man is to be shown off to momma—the critical test.
Being wrapped in the “red, Black green” refers to the pan-African colors. That caught my eye, too. One interpretation would be that for this poet, a black woman, kidnapping is in order because she has found someone who really fits the bill, someone, furthermore, her momma would like. The only capital letter in the poem is the “B” in Black.
Kidnap poem
ever been kidnapped by a poet if I were a poet I’d kidnap you put you in my phrases and meter you to jones beach or maybe coney island or maybe just to my house lyric you in lilacs dash you in the rain blend into the beach to complement my see play the lyre for you ode you with my love song anything to win you wrap you in the red Black green show you off to mama yeah if I were a poet
I’d kidnap you
This is a fun poem to recite because it is spoken directly to the potential kidnap victim. There is no punctuation, but that is no problem. The questions, declarations and exclamations are apparent. There are sensible points along the way to pause to allow the previous line to sink in. For example, the first line is a question which calls for a very slight pause before the bold intention is declared.
Ever been kidnapped by a poet?
(slight pause)
if I were a poet
i’d kidnap you.
One other example occurs at the end of the poem when the poet pushes the scenario to include meeting momma punctuated with a “yeah” to set the nail.
Wrap you in the red Black green show you off to mama (slight pause) yeah (slight pause) if I were a poet
I’d kidnap you
With just a few readings (and recitations) the poem reveals its character.
The above notwithstanding, the fact that I’m a man detracts from my recitation because this is clearly a woman’s voice. Mostly, this has not been a problem. The poems I have memorized don’t pose this dilemma. The one poem I have completely side-stepped for this reason is Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman. In that poem there is a line referring to “the ride of my breasts.” I am not reciting that. It would sound ridiculous and, besides, I already have two of Angelou’s poems. It is a bit unfortunate, though, because Phenomenal Woman is the poem most often cited by young women when I ask, “What is your favorite poem?”
One last word about kidnap poem. I find the two lines:
blend into the beach
to complement my see
a mystery and, yes, it is “see.” That is not a typo. Normally, something this confusing would eliminate a poem for me, but I went ahead anyway. The likelihood that a poet like Nikki Giovanni screwed up is zero, so I can safely assume the two lines impart meaning and are necessary. I just cannot figure out what they mean. Someday I’ll find out and hopefully I won’t feel too stupid when I do.
[Note: Gary Althen, friend and editor, suggests that “see” in this case may take the meaning of a geographical area under a person’s authority – a bishop’s see. Maybe, seems like a stretch, but I have no alternative explanation.]
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