Asterisk: A Glyph by Hakim Bellamy

Originally Publishing September 5, 2015 in HakimBe where you can find more by Mr. Bellamy

in the post-Serena Slam era

When you say her name
what do you mean?

Do you mean “us?”

Do you mean Latin, or
do you mean Chamoru* for sunlight,
sunshine?

Or do you mean daughter?
Do you mean dark?

When you do not say her name
what do you mean?

When you say calm
do you mean invisible
or ladylike?

When you say peaceful,
do you mean conquered?

When you say serene
do you mean “sista”
or slave name?
What exactly do you mean?

When you say tennis
do you mean love
or combat?

When you say respect,
do you mean you first?

Do you mean all white
when you say club?

Do mean color,
or do you mean code?

Do you mean Druid Hill,
or do you mean Indian Wells?

When you say racquet,
do you mean rigged?

When you say endorsements,
do you mean permission?

When you say masculine,
do you mean anger?

When you say loud,
do mean record-breaking?

When you say manly,
do you mean win?

When you say unpretty,
do you mean powerful?

When you say her name,
does it make you feel small?

When she says fuck,
does it make you go numb?

When you say boo,
do you mean little girl?

Does it scare you
that she is no one’s prize?

When you say slam,
does it hurt?

When you say serve,
do you mean help?

Who do you mean
when you say hero?

When you say asterisk,
do you mean champion,
but…

When you say history
do you mean yours?

When you say game
do you mean everything
or do you mean sport?

When you say match,
do mean none?

Interpretation aside-ways
Do you know what “it” means?
Do you know what she means?

Do you know what she means
to Compton?

When you say she’s no angel,
Do you mean blasphemous

Do you know why forsaken people
sometimes turn athletes into gods?

Gods that look like them?

Do you recognize the broadness of wingspan
it takes to put a city on your back?

Halo, cocked just a ll’ bit to the side
but not cracked.

When you tell her to tuck in her attitude,
and pull up her ass,

I get it.
I am no longer confused.

When you say
it’s nothing, I know

I know
that you are just
mean.

© Hakim Bellamy, September 5th, 2015

*The Chamorro people, are the indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands. Chamoru society was based on what sociologist Dr. Lawrence J. Cunningham termed the “matrilineal avuncuclan”, one characteristic of which is that the brother(s) of the female parent plays more of a “father” role than the actual biological male parent.

**In colloquial usage, an asterisk is used to indicate that a record is somehow tainted by circumstances, which are putatively explained in a footnote referenced by the asterisk.

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Hakim Bellamy

Community Publishing will be publishing Hakim Bellamy’s Samuel’s Story, a multimedia children’s story featuring the music of DJ Flo Fader and the illustrations of Melvin Mayes.

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