i don’t write love poetry anymore or/poetry about love my heart and bed are empty my thoughts a distant memory of/what love used to be * i once wrapped my life & legs around him watched from the outside as i lost myself in someone else who didn’t lose himself in me it was an […]
Praise the Lorde!
On this day, in 1934, Audre Lorde was born. She named herself “black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet warrior” and gave us the words to do the same. Although many quotes will be in circulation today, I’d like to offer this one up, as a particularly good example of Lorde’s crunkness. All too often the message comes loud […]
A Love Poem for Single Mothers
Hey girl, I’m calling Cause I got your text Seems you might need a hug And a minute to vent So you spent one more night Trying to find the words To explain that joint parenting Means joint work That what he can’t pay for Can be supplemented with time Especially since you’re working […]
Communion
*** NOT WORK APPROPRIATE “Why Miss Celie, she say. You still a virgin.” –Alice Walker, The Color Purple “can/you touch yrself/&/when you do/ do you rush to say/ ‘get thee behind me/Satan?’” –Ntozake Shange, “intermittent celibacy” One. The First Lady and the girl are tarrying for anointing. She has spent her teenaged summer wondering why […]
Living Single
I hate the term single. Despite the fact that most of us come in to this world by ourselves and leave that way there’s an expectation of partnering in the interim. And while you are granted a bit more of a reprieve from single shade* in queerdom, there’s still a palpable partner privilege that operates. […]
Single, Saved, and Sexin’: The Gospel of Gettin’ Your Freak On
Note: This is the first post in our month long series on sex, love, and relationships. To protect the anonymity of the CFs and so that we may speak more freely, many of us will be posting this month under the Collective pseudonym CrunkAsHell. We will also let you know whenever a post is NSFW […]
The Revolution Televised: A Brief Primer on Egypt
Egypt has been all over the news lately, as Egyptians have lifted their voices in condemnation of despotic president, Hosni Mubarak. There are some key things to keep in mind as the events unfold: 1. Don’t get it twisted: this is a revolution. It has been called chaos, upheaval, civil unrest, an uprising, a challenge, […]
RE: Kanye West is Not a Feminist, but…
Crunktastic’s article is crossposted from our friends over at The Feminist Wire. I find myself both intrigued and troubled by Ron Neal’s recent TFW post, “Kanye West Is Not a Feminist, But…” Neal is absolutely spot on that Kanye displays a level of emotional vulnerability and complexity that is rare for Black male hip hop […]
Don’t Push Me Cuz I’m Close to the Edge: For Kelly Williams-Bolar
Kelly Williams-Bolar, a single mother of two daughters, ages 16 and 12, is serving day 9 of a 10-day suspended sentence in an Akron, OH jail for –wait for it – “records falsification” after modifying documents so that her daughters could attend school in a better school district than the ones near the subsidized housing […]
The Zen of Young Money: Being Present to the Genius of Black Youth
Guest post by Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, friend of CFC, Wonder Twin of me 🙂 I fly with the stars in the skies,I am no longer trying to survive,I believe that life is a prize,But to live doesn’t mean you’re alive. Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace, Angel Kyodo […]