Harlem Poems: “Harlem’s Own”

A poem on Harlem by young harlemite Kristin Richardson Jordan written for HCL.

Harlem’s Own

by Kristin Richardson Jordan

Harlem is home
of young bloods
old souls, small biz
and busy restaurants
loud radios play background to old mens’ street chess
as African women ask to braid your hair
Harlem is home
to pant’s sagging, hips shaking,
du-rag wearing “vagabonds”
and white-talking,
suitwearing
jewelry a-twirlin’ “uppity negros”
and hipsters
and gentrifiers
and all things in between
But mostly Harlem’s the womb of words
spoken music dancing jazz paint cooking sewing collage poem
the art is behind every lamp post
in the mailboxes
under hats and hoods
crawling the cracks of the street
there’s the art
and no. matter. what.
one of Harlem’s own will grab you
with soul