Doggone: Performance Poetry by Steven Willis [Video]

By Button Poetry

They say the pit bull aint nothing
but the black man of the K-9 kingdom.

And poodles clutch their leash,
When they pass him on the street.
Golden retrievers growled
their microaggressions, on the job.
Went out for a walk.
German shepherds, stop sniff and frisk him.
Forever stuck to face the stereotypes of his breed.
Like does he belong to drug dealers?
Does he participate in dog fights?

Is he angry?
Is his vicious tendency innate,
or a product of his environment.
I swear.

They like this better when we were the man’s best friend.
When we were being bred for our obedience and our strength.
And they wonder why we write, they wonder why
we knock over the bull and bite the hand that fed us scraps.
You made us this way, and now you kitty cat scared.
Funny how bullet stray like dogs,
whenever I disobey a cops command and now,
Fox News asks mama, all the dog gone questions.

Like, why didn’t I sit?
Why didn’t I stay?
Why wasn’t I a good boy?
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This post was previously published on YouTube.

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Carlynn Newhouse, performing at the 2022 Womxn of the World Poetry Slam in Baltimore, MD.

About Button:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

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Photo credit: iStock