Scenes from “Shades of Whitetopia”

Chapters I — IV

here, look. shhh. do you see it? if you attached a scent, a sound, to it? what would it be? don’t let the question mark, the commas and periods confuse you much. this is an opportunity! there is peril and danger here. you don’t see that? the innocence? the innocuous way she stares? it starts this way, i think, i believe, i imagine. no, not every face should be a black one. no, there are not enough black faces, voices, lungs, hearts, beating atop of subway stations, of tubes. what to make of that lack? of the absence? the only color here is the sky, is the night holding this together. i am not saying that is wrong. but, i am also not saying it is right, either. i am not saying it is good, nor bad. but, it evokes in me a subtle question, a gentle but somewhat jarring siren, a silent fire. so, here we are.

what does glee look like? replace this with Solange? how do you feel now? do you want to adjust the volume, its tenor? how do you mute a tone? how do your draw a blank? do you use hands or firearms? when was the last time you smiled like this, black girl? arms of a lover, a squad car? ooooh, Calvin how i love you so. yes, take my A$AP, make him hollywood, not harlem…