For Colored Girls

"Dark phrases of womanhood Of never having been a girl

-"Half-note scattered without rhythm -"Without rhythm

"No tune distraught

"Her laughter falling over A black girl's shoulders

-"lt's funny -"Funny

"lt's hysterical The melodylessness of her dance

"Don't tell nobody Don't tell a soul

-"She's dancing on beer cans and shingles -"Beer cans and shingles

"This must be the spook house

"Another song with no singers Lyrics, no voices

"And uninterrupted solos Unseen performances

"Are we ghouls?

-"Children of horror? -"Children of horror?

"The joke? Don't tell nobody, don't tell a soul

"Are we animals?

-"Have we gone crazy? -"Have we gone crazy?

"l can't hear anything

"But maddening screams and the soft strains of death

"And you promised me

"You promised somebody, anybody

-"Sing a black girl's song -"Sing a black girl's song

"Bring her out to know herself To know you

-"But sing her rhythms caring, struggle -"Caring, struggle

"Hard times sing her song of life

"She's been dead so long

-"Closed in silence so long -"ln silence so long

"She doesn't know the sound Of her own voice, her infinite beauty

"She's half-notes scattered without rhythm No tune

"Sing her sighs

"Sing the song of her possibilities

"Sing a righteous gospel Let her be born

-"Let her be bornn and handled warmly -"Let her be bornn and handled warmly

-"And this is for colored girls -"ls for colored girls

-"Who have considered suicide -"Considered suicide

"But moved to the ends of their own rainbows"

What you got to eat?

"l've got a lot of work to do and l can't with a man around

"Here's your clothes, there's some coffee on the stove

"There's a paper cup

"lt's been very nice But l can't see you again"

What did you say to me?

"You got what you came for, didn't you?

"l couldn't possibly wake up with a strange man in my bed.

"Why don't you go home?"

l'm sure your wife is looking for you.

Yeah. You know what?

You know what? lt's not even worth it.

Crazy-ass bitch. Where my shoes at?

l'm looking for a Crystal Wallace.

-Yes? -Miss Wallace?

My name is Kelly Watkins. l'm with Child Welfare Services.

What can l do for you?

l need to discuss the safety of your children.

Safety of my children? What you talking about?

Miss Wallace, please, open the door,

or l'm required by law to come back here with the police.

512.

Hold it!

Thank you.

Miss Wallace, no elevator?

lt's a walkup.

lt's a walkup. She kidding?

Frank? Frank, open the door, l know you are in there.

Franklin!

You got a woman in there? l'm tired of this, you know? l am sick of your shit.

"Without any assistance Or guidance from you

"l have loved you assiduously For eight months, tzo weeks and a day

"l've been stood up four times

"Left seven packages on your doorstep 40 poems

"Two plants, three handmade note cards And l had to leave town to send them

"But you've been no help to me on my job

"You call at 3:00 in the morning On weekdays

"Charming, charming But you have been of no assistance

"l want you to know This has been an experiment

"To see how selfish l could be

"To see if l could really carry on Or to snare a possible lover

"To see if l was capable of debasing myself For the love of another

"To see if l could stand not being wanted When l want to be wanted, and l cannot

"So, without any further assistance Or guidance from you

"l am ending this affair

"There's a note attached to a plant that l've been watering since the day l met you

"You may water it your damn self"

-Good morning. -Good morning, Miss Gilda.

ls somebody coming up?

You know somebody's coming up, Miss Gilda.

Who is it? ls that Beau Willie?

Can you get my mail when you go downstairs?

Yeah, l'll get it.

You're gonna clean that up.

-lt's dust. lt will blow away. -Everything don't blow like you.

Got a lot of men coming through your house.

You jealous 'cause you don't have no men coming at all.

Why don't you mind your business? Your old ass better leave me alone.

You have been the bane of my existence since they voted you apartment manager.

Shit.

l can't stand that heifer. Just a tramp.

Coming in here all hours of the day and night, these men.

-l'll talk to you later, Miss Gilda. -Okay.

Hi.

-l need to start exercising again. -You just did.

Can l get you some water?

That'd be nice.

-l told the doctor she was okay. -Yeah, l understand that,

but any time a child is seen repeatedly in the emergency room,

we have to make a home visit.

lt's just a bruise.

Where are the children?

Come on. Come on, baby. Come on out.

Hi. Hi, you must be Kenya.

-Are you Kenya? -Yes.

And are you kwame, then?

-l like your dress. -Thank you.

-ls that the children's father? -Yes. He's sleeping.

Come on over here.

l just have a few questions for you.

So, l'm Miss Watkins.

Do you remember when you got hurt the other day?

Can you tell me how that happened?

l just fall down.

lt's all right, baby. What?

You want... Let's go find that toy, okay? Come on. Come on. Come on, sweetheart.

Who are you?

My name is Kelly Watkins from Child Welfare Services.

Child welfare?

Ain't this a bitch? l called six months ago to get my veterans benefits.

l can't get a case worker, and you...

How the fuck you gonna come down here for some damn kids?

-Sir, the city is very concerned... -l've been asking them bastards!

l defended this damn country so you can have this job,

and you gonna come in here with this bullshit.

Come in here about some damn kids. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Get the fuck out of here!

Hey, come here.

Diaz, can you call me back about the Wallace house, please, right away?

lt's not her that's hurting them kids. lt's him. l babysit them. l know.

l can hear everything through this wall. That's why l called you.

-You called? -Yes.

She can't protect them from him.

Ever since he came back from the war he's been crazy,

and he drinks like a fish.

"Came home crazy as hell

"Went to Veterans Affairs To try to go to school

"But they kept right on Putting him in remedial classes

"He couldn't read worth a damn

"So Beau accused the teachers Of trying to hold him back

"Went and got himself a gypsy cab to drive But the cab kept breaking down

"Cops was always messing with him

"And then Crystal went And got pregnant again

"He most beat her to death When she told him

"She still got a scar under her right tit Where he cut her up"

Do her a favor, take them kids.

-Thank you, ma'am. -Yes, yes.

-What? What? -l need money.

-For what? -Things.

l gave you money on the first.

-l still need some things. -For what?

Do you know how hard it is to come up here to have to ask you for anything?

-Then stop doing it. -l wouldn't if l didn't have to.

What do you need money for?

Granddaddy put me in charge of his little will

'cause he knew you would give all of it to that cult.

lt is not a cult.

You would know that if you spent any time down at the Temple of Elnohim.

What is it that you don't understand? l'm not giving you any money.

You are gonna rot in hell!

So, if l give you money, l'm blessed of Elnohim,

and if l don't, l'm gonna burn in hell, that it?

l'm praying that you see God

through the mists of the distances that Satan has put in your heart.

Goodbye, Alice.

He has deceived you. He has deceived you! Lured you with deception!

Repent! Repent!

Praise Elnohim.

-Praise Elnohim. -This one in particular, her name is Nyla.

And l really think that she...

God bless you.

God bless you. God bless you.

The golden kingdom awaits you.

You just bought your way out of hell for a dollar.

l guess l did.

Yeah, so go ahead, you were talking about the girls.

lt's so great. You should meet some of them. They have so much hope.

And they're getting that from dance.

l love how your face lights up when you talk about them.

Yeah, l know, they excite me.

You know, most of my girls graduate from high school and go on to college.

-That's amazing. -lt is.

What?

No. lt's just that every day since l met you tzo weeks ago we walk this route.

l go off to work, you go off to your dance class,

and you still haven't answered my question.

Bill, l told you.

Do you know how much courage it took for me to step to you on a crowded subway?

-Come on now. -l just got out of a bad relationship.

l'm not trying to marry you. l just want to take you to a nice dinner.

-l'm gonna be late for my class. -Okay, l see how it is.

What?

You're one of those people who only give. You never let anyone give to you.

Okay. Dinner. Tomorrow night.

8:00. Tonight.