In response to popular demand, we present “Michelle,” a poem imagining the night our new President took the First Lady out for the very first time.
Michelle
She answered the door
in a simple red dress,
her hair folded into a tight
spool – Barack wanted to grip
the polished rung
of her collarbone and climb
into her mouth, but this was
their first date, so they hot boxed
his blue Jetta until the smoke
was so thick it could be spread
onto shortcake, and he promised
her adjectives like interesting
and audacious, and he rolled
another jay, not wanting
to come ‘cross no square brother
at the firm,
and Michelle liked the way
his words were pennies flicked
into a fountain, and finally
they checked out a Spike Lee joint,
and after the movie he fit
his hand into hers all the way
home where he sealed his lips
to her ear and promised
an obelisk for her garden.
Michael Cirelli is the Executive Director of Urban Word NYC, an award-winning youth literary arts organization. He is also the author of Lobster with Ol’ Dirty Bastard (Hanging Loose 2008), which was a New York Times bestseller for poetry from an independent press, and Hip-Hop Poetry & the Classics (Milk Mug 2009), a standards-based curriculum that engages the intersection between hip-hop and classic poetry. His work has appeared widely in journals and anthologies, as well as featured in Poets & Writers, World Literature Today, King Magazine, and on Def Poetry Jam. His new book, Vacations on the Black Star Line, is forthcoming from Hanging Loose Press.
Comments (23)
effing rad. thank you!
very moving.
Swoon.
I once went on a first date with a guy who pulled something similar. But it was on the street in the West Village, and not in a blue Jetta, and as a result seemed more sketchy/less cute. Thanks for letting us post this Michael.
cheesy )
Hah
super offensive.. this post articulates white america's fears and fantasies about obama… thanks for a good reason to unsubscribe from this list.
And for shit like this they're receive awards in poetry now in America? It's simply horrible and extremely low brow. It's awful! American culture dying?
Why do you think it's low brow or offensive? Because they're smoking pot? Or going to see a Spike Lee flick? Do you hate obelisks? Grow up.
what else could America have except fears or fantasies?
No, I really like pot. ) Nevermind. When I was a schoolboy, I was writing "poetry" like this too. I thought it was a good try, but actually very bad. Now I think I can sell it in US. )
Michael Cirelli has been a National Poetry Slam individual finalist and the only person to make all three Bay area slam teams in the same year, winning the finals in both San Francisco and Berkeley. A two-time member of both Oakland and Long Beach, Cirelli has performed all over the country, while teaching writing workshops to teenagers up and down the West coast. While in L.A., he was the director of PEN Center West's, Poet In The Classroom program. He is currently an MFA candidate at the New School University and the Director of Urban Word NYC.
Very impressive. So what?
Naughty, but sweet.
Maybe you'll find something you like here more.
please share your own work.
forgive those of us that live in the real world and/or aren't so anal we defacate brown spaghetti.
his words were pennies flicked
into a fountain
soooo cheesy i know!
I can't – it lost in times.
very good poem – like the imagining, love the jaw imagery, don't think it's cheesy, think it's very skilled
[...] little slam poetry about Barack and Michelle Obama’s imagined first date. Make of it as you will. (link courtesy [...]
Inane nonsense
[...] the areas of creative writing, journalism, college prep, literature and hip-hop.” We posted “Michelle” from his forthcoming collection Vacations on the Black Star Line back in January to celebrate [...]
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