more graffiti

DubbleX Chilling At Crib

these photos are property of Joy Leftow courtesy of her. She asked me to pose in front of my dreadlock poem scrawled on my wall one manic night.

We bring our words to the street

MY BLACK HAIR STORY

Back in the day I had an Afro that extended out into the universe like Saturn’s rings

I’d walk up and down city streets

wrote and stickered many things - dreamt I would be a graffiti king

Back in the day I wore a Jeri curl and cornrows

played basketball and dodged swinging elbows

Back in the day I would drink underage

knocking back Absolute Cranberry Vodka to get very drunk

Back in the day I sported an Afro – I let it grow for many years

high and wide busting out from all sides

I tamed my Afro into braids

down my shoulders they cascaded

My fingers working to interweave that weave

Before my braid days I sported a high top fade

Fucked around with Jeri curls - used to wear waves

Slept with a silky black do rag skull cap

Sometimes it was hard to nap if it was too tight at night

Come morning time my forehead would have deep do rag line

I threw on that green hair food for that ultra shine around 89

I remember one time I insisted on getting twisted

used small colorful rubber bands grabbed up a couple of hair strands

and twisted with my hands.

Rubber bands held the twist in place but as soon as I washed my hair

they were no longer there disappeared into thin air

Another time I wanted dreads

I poured honey and lemon juice on my head

I didn’t wash my hair for a month the hair had quite a funk.

My hair began to lock

Then I cut it all off and put my whole world in shock, made everyone rock

Before cutting the dreads I washed them

found lemon seeds in my natty from my lemon juice spray

I was still crazy back in the day

Afterwards, for many years I kept it cut at a level one - my scalp exposed to the sun

One day I decided I wanted my dreads back so I brought two jars of beeswax

but low and behold the dreads wouldn’t hold

so I went to the beauty saloon to get my dread on.

They twisted me up - wished me good luck –

told me not to wash my hair for at least six weeks

my ex-wife started to complain that I reeked.

The dreads grew long after some time once again I cut my hair down real low

Thought I was gonna go work for a corporation so wanted to present myself professional

Now, once more I wanted my dreads back

broke out that old jar of beeswax

sat and twisted this time I commanded them grow and grow

So finally now from high top fades braids and Afros I have come full circle

Back to my dream I think I’ll let my dreads grow to 2080 maybe

I want that tattoo sleeve

I want artwork dripping down from the top of my shoulders to my wrist
This doesn’t exist yet but if I insist on one thing on my to do list
I want Rodin the thinking man sitting on a rock covered in dreadlocks
A constellation of stars twinkling in a colorful nebula
Graffiti tags mixed with elegant pieces
Rolling trains in flames and flying eagles
My pockets cannot support my ambitions to commission the rendition
So I scribble on my brown skin with ink pens not near the equivalent of my intent
My money is so quickly spent
On child support and rent
My girlfriend says a sleeve will be $7,000
She knows a guy in PA and one day when I can pay $100 an hour
I can get shit started maybe get the outline design
Daily I evaluate tattoos I see on city summer streets
As the pressing heat reveals multicolored skins inked in
spider webs on elbows
Yellow and red flames on forearms
Scripted names on necks
Depicted crosses
Skulls and devil heads
Baby feet for young dead
Hearts and picturesque landscapes
Tribal black lines in twisted designs
Winding dragons with flashing swords
Piano keys with noted chords
Salamanders and trees
Butterflies stars and Celtic swirls
Pictures of naked sexy girls
Motorcycles castles and loved ones’ faces
Lasts a lifetime never erases

Jumping tigers and flying fairies it’s all so enticing
Flower arrangements with abstract impressions
Tattoos cover lower backs buttocks and bellies
Calves breast and chest
Half sides of faces
all types of places
I dream about my tattoos
Wonder if it will scare or bruise me
How much pain it will inflict
With thousand of tiny nicks
My girlfriend tells me about the pain
The back and forth over the skin in the same spot
You want the guy to stop be he will not
If you want the style and color to be hot
She tells me a lot of people get shit on their arms
That has no charm
Ugly tattoos that look unprofessional
People stop her every where she goes when she lets her tat show
Sometime soon I hope to go to Pennsylvania
When I get my tax return
Grit my teeth for that needle burn
Soon it will be my turn