for Celestine, Noel, Boomie & Obinna
it begins as brightness under skin
a blossoming of heat
visible in the earlobes
& softening just a little
the corners of the eyes
so they crinkle
into almost smiles
all of you tell me
it is difficult
to make an African blush–
I disagree
it might be trickier to see
& it cannot be done
with flattery
or smoothness
a sly wink
when someone tells you
you are beautiful/handsome/hot
those things
that turn white people
into strawberries
are too obvious
no–
it is only the truth
that softens your faces
into vulnerability
when I say
your words
strike
my solar plexus
& chime me
that’s when you admit
that internal blooming
which is so much more beautiful
than seeing it easy
in scarlet
***might not be true for all Africans, but for you four–c’est vrai!
Susan Daniels Poetry 
Now am blushing that ‘invisible’ blush…hmmmm… Now I know the scientific approach to blushing :D.
Lovely evening tonic for a hard day in the kitchen (I forgot to mention… Cooking is one of my hobbies. I made afang soup. Ask Noel to describe it)
Obinna–fitting that you were the first to respond to this, since your comment was the fourth straw (and the last one) that finally tripped that wire in my mind and inspired this poem! So…thanking you for that, and I will ask about the afang soup–I love to cook, but have mostly stuck with Asian, Italian, and middle eastern cooking (crazy about Lebanese food and my kitchen is a hummus mill lately).
now, this one got me, half smiling, eyelids fluttering and nostrils slightly softening!
Beautiful poetry, Susan. I wait for Boomie and Celestine to describe their own emotions and motions!
Afang soup – still trying to get a handle on that one – my speciality is Ofe Owerre!
Awww–you retweeted! Thanks–must mean you liked it, a little. Ofe Owerre, eh? What goes in there? Somehow I am guessing one of the above recipes, if not both, involves some yam-pounding (which, forgive me for saying so, sounds like a double entendre). Now, putting my incorrigibly naughty mind to the side, glad you liked this–the idea for this one has been simmering for a while, and Obinna’s comment last night just kind of made it all fit together, so I am glad you enjoyed!
Great write Susan!
Audrey–
Thank you! Had some great inspiration from my wildly creative friends who cannot stand to be told the truth about their brilliance 😉
Lovely words, blog.and post, thank you for share for us with love maxima
thank you, Maxima!
this is great and so true Susan. Wonderfully soft and loving
Thanks, Audra–and it’s true–flattery will get you nowhere, but offer up an honest reaction, and…well, the poem says the rest
I thought a fellow strawberry-blusher might appreciate this 😉
haaa yes. Sigh oh blushing is a terrible terrible infliction. Both of my daughters inherited it. You know it would be one of THE top things I wish I could change about myself. It truly is painful
oh, me too. But no use trying to hide it…it’s there, and not nearly as pretty as what I describe here. Just call me Ms. Tomato Face.
I really love when people say “oh look she blushes” then the temperature rises..then they say OOOOh look even her ears turn red. Oh my I did not think people blushed like that anymore…and then my face explodes…
we could be a tomato salad together… ugh
Oh, well that’s a positive–I love tomato salad 😉
Calling attention to the blush just makes it worse, and deeper…never outgrew it.
what the hell is that anyway? Why can’t we outgrow it? sigh… 44 and still blush like a damn schoolgirl ugh
LOL, complains the 44-year-old to the 46-year-old 😀
Have heard nothing on this yet from Boomie or Celestine…perhaps I should run?
no. I am sure they will recieve it with the sentiment in which it was written.
🙂 here’s hoping! Nah, I am sure they will too.
Blush blush blush…this is wonderful Susan
Oh, so glad you liked–it is YOUR wonderfulness that prompted this–all 4 of you…
Oh Susan, this is so much funny and beautiful at the same time and I am laughing and yes you do make me blush, all the time. I do turn into a blackberry 🙂 not tomato or strawberry. 🙂
Aw–blackberries are so much
prettier–tomato/strawberry does clash with my coloring so 😉
You are a wonderful poet, and that is all I will say because I don’t want your blackberry to be permanent… 😉
And there I go blushing, and laughing again. 🙂
🙂 that is a great way to start an early evening, if you ask me!
It’s the heat underneath the skin
And I wonder who the four are…
I do blush , strawberry red… But my brothers and uncles go blackberry. Their smiles ain’t fake either.
So true. Love it!
Aw, so glad you liked it. The four are right under the poem’s title–I dedicated it to them 😉
Recognize two, the chief and boomiebol
The other is a lovely woman from Ghana–she has some amazing poetry out there, Celestine does, and Obinna is an extremely talented young poet from Noel’s hometown, where I guess they just grow fantastic poets 😉 click on their names, it will take you to their sites.