THE OBSERVATION BOOTH
OP-ED BY ANDREA DIALECT
GRAB THE MIC
Be normal, why do you choose to cry so easily? You do it for attention. You’re ignorant you’re…Shut up, shut up, please just shut up!
I’ve been torn down enough. I’ve been stripped of who I was. The real me has been covered up for years. I have been torn. I have been painted over. I am everyone’s artwork but my own. Everyone has an opinion on how I look, how I talk, how I act. I am supposed to fit in this perfect coffin, I mean box. But this box feels less like a box and more like a cell. A perfect place for a black girl; a cell or in a coffin six feet under. But what is the difference between this cell? The doors are open but I’m in the corner cowering in fear. If I get close to it I get shamed for wanting freedom. Are you not grateful for what we have made of you? You are beautiful now!
I never knew that bruises were beautiful. I never realized that cheeks stained with tears were beautiful. Maybe their right, I should sit in my corner and be grateful for the artwork they have made of me.
I am the people’s artwork. I am their art piece for them to adore and pick apart and take away the pieces they dislike. No more smiles you’ll get wrinkles instead and tears to keep those cheeks moist. No more nails, bite those until you no longer can. When you’re done we’ll cut out those parts of you that are still you. You are our artwork after all! – “The People’s Art” Copyright Jada Crosby, 2021
POETIC JADA
Jada Crosby, Poet / Writer
Photo Credit Andrea Dialect
We met at a bus stop, “Hello there!”
“Hello!” she replied … She reminded me of my granny’s daughter Serenity. In my opinion, she was a peek into her future, or had she become one in mine? It was as if I was looking at my little Serenity now and perhaps how she’d move in the world at Jada’s present age. The way she looked out of her eyes, the extended pauses in-between choice words; her movements, shyness, sophistication, and her ever-present innocence which at twenty years old today’s time is still intact. I pray, God please allow Serenity at such an age to maintain hers too for goodness’ sakes.
The questions asked during our small talk had been. What do you like to do, and how do you pass time? She said, “I write poetry!” I was quite impressed by “The People’s Art” and “The Sun & Moon People,” so impressed that I reached out to three extraordinary artists. Glenn Hamilton aka “Hassan,” the drawing is his interpretation of “The People’s Art” I photographed both Trainer, Dancer & Model “Queen Jackie” and Afro Beat Dancer & Choreographer “Diana The Dragon” for my photographic depiction of the work. I thought that their beauty embodied this piece perfectly, do enjoy the printed exhibit.
Contemplate “The People’s Art” and look at the images simultaneously. What do you feel? What do you get from the artist? What do you think? … Enjoy!
TEST THE MIC
Jada’s Imagery By Glenn Hamilton Aka Hassan
“…Well I was in high school and we were talking about bullying and stuff and I thought back to what I used to go through when I was much younger in elementary and stuff. They used to tease me about how my two front teeth come out and I look a little bit like a chipmunk. They’d tease me about that they’d tease me about being tall, all kinds of things. I remember how it actually felt like they were picking me apart.
“Then I also always see commercials that try to show women how they should be confident and stuff. I got the idea when I saw this commercial when they showed a woman actually breaking apart and it made me start thinking about how it made me feel broken when I was younger. I created it about two years ago around when covid first started.
“I do write often and to date, I have twenty completed. This one is actually my favorite. Because I like how I was able to express myself and the emotions and it has kind of a beat to it, a rhythm. Most of my works are basically the same rhythm with minor differences. But it’s like each has its own personality.
“Another category that this one fits nicely into besides bullying would be love, self-love, and self-expression. A lot of times you kind of hide the parts of you cause you’re scared of what people think and stuff. One of the ideas that I came up with is the woman in the cell and the door being open that’s to represent actually wanting to be who you are but you’re scared. Because people are kind of holding you back.
“It was the imagery that I was painting but I wanted to also put a statement with that image. I have sent this particular piece to poetry contest online in the past but they refused, they turned me down. But, now I’m doing my own thing. I was thinking that I would have people write about or discuss how this poem or my work makes them feel and stuff like that, which is similar to what we’re doing now.
“If I were to explain this work to someone, anyone I would explain it as, it explains the pain that you feel, that people feel when you just like kind of keep on going and you are telling them what’s wrong with them and what you dislike about them. Just enamoring in all their faults and this is basically a representation of what it feels like.
“My second favorite is a piece that I called “The Sun People” it’s a poem that I wrote and I have been repeatedly editing it so there are like three different versions of it. But it has a similar topic like this one but it’s more about how’s there like certain business people and they’re like all stuffed up and there are those free people that kind of run wild and so basically in the poem I call the people who are really structured “The Sun People” and I call the people who are free “The Moon People” and The Moon People are just frolicking through the city and they glow real bright and the sun people basically complain about it. I got the idea from the stereotype of old people yelling at the kids to get out of their yard or something.
“When I started to write more actually, I was writing songs but they didn’t really sound that good and my mom mentioned that they actually sounded more like poetry and that’s when I started to get into literature and fell in love with literature.
FINGER SNAPS
Diana The Dragon – Dancer / Choreographer
“For all those out there who may feel boxed in or anything or everything; when I was working through my issues well, I found myself burying myself in watching television. Then I started watching deeper tv shows like “Once Upon A Time” and all those shows that had deep and rich stories and that’s when I kinda started.
“Some were created even deeper stories, I watched them then I said, “let me try!” At first, it didn’t go that well. In middle school, I believe it was the first day I was in English class and I wrote something and when I got my paper back it had red ink all over it. My English teacher said that it was immature and other things. I forget the words she used but basically she said that it was immature and it was low class pretty much.
“At first, I was angry and a little hurt but I ended up just writing. I went home and wrote a poem about her. After that every time I felt, sad or happy I’d just write. I also learned a lot from watching television. I was watching a lot of dramas and movies like “Teen Wolf” kinds of movies and stuff like that. I was around ten when I started watching television heavily. But I was around thirteen when I had the experience with my middle school teacher. I never looked at that paper again after that day. That was my starting point and I never looked back.
“I likely threw that paper away because I don’t know where it is. I had developed a thick skin because of my teachers. Like when in eighth grade, they were mostly math teachers because. I wasn’t that good in math and they were usually the old women, they were being mean, and then some were jerks, sometimes snobby teachers. I basically said I already have to deal with my struggles in math I wasn’t going to let them ruin literacy, so yeah. I decided that I wasn’t going to let teachers, bullies, or anyone else do that to me.
“Eventually, I’d attend a poetry club at school, and I also joined a writing club. Now I’m finding my own identity. I haven’t gone back to writing songs; I usually do the singing just for fun. I fell in love with literacy and I’m sticking to literacy. I would tell anyone dealing with bullying in all its forms. Dealing with people or society putting them in a box or whatever they’re dealing with. I would say start small and start expressing yourself as I did with writing.
“At first, I didn’t share but after dealing with that teacher I started showing my work again. You must find something that makes you happy and you don’t have to tell anyone. If it’s what makes you happy go on from there. If I’d had to say it in one word Ms. Andrea, it would be ‘confidence,’ have the confidence, find that confidence in you!
POETIC JUSTICE
Queen Jackie Baker – Dancer, Model & Trainer
“What Mean People Do”
Trust can be broken so can skin and bones but those heal. My trust was broken and I feared everyone. I fear no more. Why should I fear?
My soul was drained of joy for so long. I denounce being drained any longer. When you glare at me I’m blind to it. When you sneer all I see is a small smile. I LOVE YOU HATEFUL PEOPLE and one day after your trials and errors you will be at peace too!
Copyright Jada Crosby, 2020
“My Forest”
Burns hurt, but when a forest burns down it regrows.
My desire to be free is growing; my love for life is growing.
Some of my flowers may wilt away as I grow.
But where there is death, there is birth. Where there is birth, there is hope. I will hold on to that hope ’till the day I die, but for now, I’ll try to live. Live to see my daisies blossom, my roses that others may prick themselves with at times. To see my trees that cast shade upon me or themselves. My forest isn’t great nor vast, but it’s mine.
Copyright Jada Crosby, 2022
“A Letter to All Those That Didn’t Listen”
I looked up to you both with love and honor and wonder
I loved you all but, all of you who I loved never loved me how I needed to be. You watched me burn to a crisp and you added more flames.
I asked for help but I ended up helping you all when I needed help.
But soon I found people who heard my cries. Love me for me don’t hate me cuz I speak no more to you. I spoke to you for too long and you haven’t listened. When you are ready to learn I shall help you again but not only in hopes that you will help me; but in hopes that you learn. I’ve learned to separate me from me and you from me so you can’t hurt me anymore.
Copyright Jada Crosby, 2020
DROP THE MIC
DID YA KNOW THAT…
Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed. Wikipedia
Literacy in its broadest sense describes “particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing” with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. Wikipedia
po·et·ic jus·tice
The fact of experiencing a fitting or deserved retribution for one’s actions.
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