poetry Domino Effect

Oakland California poet Dee Allen celebrates the toppling of old idols on public statues, awaiting further movement of the Domino Effect.

Dee Allen Oneblackboylikethat Review
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Domino Effect

By Dee Allen

Tami Sawyer—

Another famous woman from Tennessee—

Met her biggest adversary in a park,

Sized him up good with tearful eyes:

Slave trader,

Confederate Army General,

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The first Klansman

Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Something had to give.

Correction: Some things.

Tami Sawyer

Made loud, sufficient noise

In her home town of Memphis

In marshalling together youth & elders

In removing the toxicity of ages,

Graven blight,

Cleared the pedestals

Once and forever

Of racist trash.

THE SOUTH SHALL RISE AGAIN!

Rednecks curse.

THE SOUTH HAVE LOST AGAIN!

Anti-racists curse back.

Tami Sawyer

Knew, as her allies did, that

Rule by fear must end, starting when

Certain venerated idols cease to stand.

A single push

Toppled over one,

Then the rest

Fall like bronze and stone-carved

Dominoes.

Dee Allen is an African-Italian performance poet based in Oakland, California, active on creative writing & Spoken Word since the early 1990s. Author of 7 books—Boneyard, Unwritten Law, Stormwater, Skeletal Black (all from POOR Press); Elohi Unitsi (Conviction 2 Change Publishing) and his 2 newest, Rusty Gallows: Passages Against Hate (Vagabond Books) and Plans (Nomadic Press).