Category: Spoken Word

Breathe

Posted on by Derrick Engoy in Art, book, Poetry, Spoken Word

It is with extreme excitement to announce that my FOURTH publication drops June 10th (tentatively). I’ve decided to publish my own chapbook this time around, instead of going through my publishers. Stay tuned for more updates as the date draws near. But, in the meantime, feast your eyes on the front and back cover.

 Breathe Outside Cover

The Traveler (unfinished poem)

Posted on by Derrick Engoy in Art, Life, Poetry, Spoken Word

The Traveler

I am more than brown skin
Black hair
Brown eyes
With a slight tilt
I am more than rice and fish
Son of immigrant parents
Island born

Mainland raised

They say it’s five o’clock somewhere in the world

So I just sit here
Waiting for my drink
My numbing agent
My escape from all that is real
Nibble on some peanuts
Maybe a banana or two
My mother always said I needed more potassium so better make that three
And since I’m a monkey anyway
might as well make that four
See…they used to call us monkeys, you know

Little brown ones at that

I am stranger

Foreign land dweller

But I belong

I am here

Pioneer
Innovator
Citizen
Tax paying civilian

Working as hard as the next person

But I will not conform
I will not shuck and jive

For your entertainment

I will not be him
Or her

Or them

I’ll simply be me

And I will not be Christian for the sake of religion
I will not put on a show so you can consume yourself into churchianity debt
See…I am Christian
But I’m defined more by Jesus

than I am doctrine

And, let me just say,
I am also frustrated
I am frustrated by the exclusivity of the church
The place where foreigners
Strangers
Immigrant land dwellers
… (unfinished thoughts)

I am handsome
At least I am to my wife

And maybe to my mom

I am gardener
Day worker
Office assistant
I am police officer
Fire fighter
Postal worker
I am barista
Hipster beard and all
I am teacher
Senator

Homemaker

I am president

I am here

I am home

And we are here to stay