Black Poets: Marion Bethel

Marion Bethel

Marion Bethel, lawyer and poet, was born in the Bahamas in 1953. Her first collection of poems, Guanahani, My Love, was published in 1995 and won the Casa de las Américas Prize that year.

Morning Walk Meditation

These low-down-lying hibiscus
get plenty style
wearing they sex in full view
just a trample of wrath away
from troubled feet
petals offering pistil and stamen
like holy communion gifts

I used to strip each sepal
pull apart each petal
paint my body hair orange
with a patient anther brush
stroke a velvet stigma
down to fuzz

Snap! – style break
woops! vulvar carpels nude
drunk sugar ants scatter – no shame
nectar on my lips

Snap! – style break
woops! – clit cone bare
tongue on the tip
a sugar high
nectar full of mouth

Snap! –style break
nectar down my windpipe
choke! – lungs in limbo
spitting up bitter blood and bread

Isake of two years wisdom
delighting in her new discovery
straddles my lap grinning
“See, ’gina!”
I say “Pretty, pretty”. A pigeon-pea flower.

I like the style of these hibiscus
not daring anything or anyone
just posing pretty pretty
each morning
as I walk by.

Author
Recent Posts

I published my first poetry collection, The Dance of Dawn at age 17, wrote for the Sun Newspaper, Cameroon as a guest columnist and read poetry for guesthouse magazine, Iowa. I was also the very first volunteer for The African Writers Conference whose maiden edition was held in Abuja 2018 and subsequently in Kenya, Tanzania, and Cameroon, winning a first-year university scholarship. I have also just been selected to be one of Doha Debate Ambassadors 2023.

Latest posts by Star Okpeh (see all)

Black Poets: Mutabaruka - March 11, 2019
Black Poets: Gwendolyn Brooks - March 4, 2019
Black Poets: Kofi Anyidoho - February 18, 2019

Tags: Black Poets Marion Bethel

Star Okpeh December 10, 2018

Star Okpeh

View More Posts

I published my first poetry collection, The Dance of Dawn at age 17, wrote for the Sun Newspaper, Cameroon as a guest columnist and read poetry for guesthouse magazine, Iowa. I was also the very first volunteer for The African Writers Conference whose maiden edition was held in Abuja 2018 and subsequently in Kenya, Tanzania, and Cameroon, winning a first-year university scholarship. I have also just been selected to be one of Doha Debate Ambassadors 2023.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Black Poets: Chika Jones.

Lagos influences most of his writing—its chaos, culture and vibrance, diversity—and like many other Nigerian writers, his work is inspired by gender-based violence and conflict themes. In an interview with Funtimes Magazine, he said, “Most of my initial poems have been responses to societal issues.” However, recently, he has been “very interested in the concept of joy; what it is, why it’s important, and how to capture and share it through poetry and performance.”

Black Poets: Kofi Awoonor.

Born in 1935 in Wheta, Ghana, his works often derived originsfrom his Ewe heritage. He was deeply influenced by African oral literature and sought to preserve the cultural legacy of his people through his writings. His most notable works include Night of My Blood and The House by the Sea which explored various themes associated with the shared African struggles during the decolonisation period.

Black Poets: Christopher Okigbo.

Renowned author, Aminatta Forna, once said, “If you want to know a country, read its writers.” Perusing Christopher Okigbo’s literary works would teach you of Biafra—a mirage of a country.

Black Poets: Dennis Brutus.

Dennis Brutus (1924–2009) was a South African poet, educator, and anti-apartheid activist, renowned for his passionate resistance to racial injustice and his captivating poetry. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Brutus was fueled by the circumstances surrounding his nativity and became a leading voice in the fight against apartheid during his time. His activism led to his arrest and imprisonment on Robben Island, where he was held alongside Nelson Mandela.

Load More Stories