Saturday, February 20, 2010

Lucille Clifton: May She Rest in a Mighty Peace


photographer unknown


I just heard ... just now ... of Lucille Clifton's passing. She passes on to the ancients. Bless her. We earthlings will miss her most intelligent and musical voice.

One of her poems ...

Homage to My Hips

these hips are big hips.
they need space to
move around in.
they don't fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don't like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved,
they go where they want to go
they do what they want to do.
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.
i have known them
to put a spell on a man and
spin him like a top


If you'd like to hear her read it herself, go here.

You can read her obituary in the NYTimes here. It's free, but you have to register.

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