I've always wondered the reason why Omaha was so divided. Now the racial makeup is disproportionate, but there are times where you can see integration in action. However, this usually involves a whole lot of drinks, and a club atmosphere. And that's not so bad, but it's usually out west where most of the white population resides. See, I frequent a lot of what people call, "hood bars"--these are bars located on the northside; the black hood. And yea, I've seen white folks in these bars, but not on the same scale as I have seen blacks in west Omaha bars/clubs. My pa'tna says it's because hood bars are raggedy, and the people (women mostly) aren't responsive--but I don't find that to be entirely true. I usually have more fun on the northside than I do out west; but that's just me.

I bring up this topic because of course--poetry. Now when I left Omaha the first time in '95, I was a kid, and the most fun I had was rollin' the "L" down north, because there were no clubs in the city for youngsta's. So when I got to Atlanta, and I really started to get into the "poetry scene" the crowds consisted mostly of Black folk. Now by no means was I complaining, I reveled in it. Black people with Black thought, Black beauty, Black words--in a sense I was in heaven! And then in 2002, I came back to Omaha to pursue a teaching certificate, but I was still knee deep in poetry. So what did my Black azz do?? Damn right I found Nat, Matt, the subterranean peace tribe, and the Omaha Slam Movement. But guess what? Mostly all these poets were white! So in one sense it was like yet another culture shock. I had gotten so used to Black poetry, Black spoken word, Black rhythm, that I had to readjust to Caucasian poetry, and their rhythm. But wherever I went there was never any real intergration, but there was the same passion, and politics in each poet and poetry scene that I attended.

This brings me to my final thought. Where in the hell are the Black poets in Omaha?? I know that we had Grooves goin' on for a minuet, then there was Cartier's, and then there was The Velvet Lounge and Caffeine Dreams, but very little intergration between the two cultures. What's up with that?? Now I've done my best to tell all poets of the shows that are going on in the city; and most white poets intermingle between shows, but many Blacks just don't come out on a consistent basis.

So I propose this--come the phuck out and blaze the stage like I know you can!! If you're Black and you have poetry in you, then stop waiting for another "Black Venue" to open, log onto www.poetrymenu.com find a venue that sounds good, then come and check it out. Caffeine Dreams on 40th and Farnam is a good place to start, Shoot Your Mouth Off II @ Shea'Riley's on 72nd is another, and Micks on 61st and Maple does weekly shows. So bring that azz, and blaze, bring that energy and make it crazy!! So if you readin' this and you know a Black poet, or a Hispanic poet, or a Iraqi poet then tell them about poetrymenu.com and have them
BRING THAT AZZ!!

please and thankyou.