1994
CAPS
By Kurt Boone
I see kids wearing
collegiate caps.
The school of their choice,
Notre Dame, Florida, Syracuse,
Michigan, Pittsburgh, UCLA,
St.John’s, USC, Long Beach State and Texas.
Fight, fight, fight, Notre Dame
Go, go, go, Michigan
football and basketball
is what they play.
I hope UCLA wins today.
School is not for play.
Education is the rule of the day.
YEAR: 1986
“BROTHERS AT WAR”
by Kurt Boone
Brothers at war.
Bruce said, “I am wrong”
I say, “I am right”
So we fight.
Bruce wants to be slick.
I want to have wit.
He punches me in the chest.
I think he needs a rest.
So I study hard to be smart.
I even go as far as to leave the house.
He can’t understand the change in me,
from being slick to being intelligent.
Who wins, me or him ?
I become rich, he becomes poor.
Brothers at war.
MADISON AVENUE COOL
by Kurt Boone
What is hip ?
Messengers bringing
the style and the swag.
Cycling hard
and running fast.
Dropping off for Calvin Klein
and Ralph Lauren
Frank Gehry bringing
new architecture to the city.
And the New York Giants
are Super Bowl Champions.
On the east side
and on the west side.
Riding on the 7 train.
Down Broadway
or up in Brooklyn
It ain’t nothing without
the Boogie Down Bronx
They know me worldwide
What is hip ?
Messengers bringing
the style and the swag
Cycling hard
and running fast
Madison Avenue Cool
YEAR: 1982
A Negro History Professor
by Kurt Boone
A negro history professor said American
history is what he knows.
Early in the morning he rises,
to teach at LACC. He lectures
in a posture, that unorthodox
and sometimes shows he really
doesn’t care.
Maybe nutty, Maybe crazy
but history 11 sure ain’t easy.
It’s the last three week of
the semester and the smell
of summer is in the air.
So long to Rogers in his
history 11 scarce.
1996
MEETING PAULA
BY KURT BOONE
Our first phone conversation
went so well, that I see an
exciting future in our togetherness.
Our thoughts work so smoothly that it
was destined for us to meet.
I hope that is a long friendship
we endure, our phone conversation
was worth so much more.
Fun today
Fun tomorrow
I know it can work if we try harder.
Random violence plagues our communities.
Our different thoughts divide our vision.
But not you and I
Our thoughts blended together
in such a beautiful way
that I will never forget that day.
