The Sunday Poem: “Queen” by Emily Jon Tobias

November 26th, 2023

The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.

Emily Jon Tobias reads her poem at its conclusion.

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“Mirabella,” by Samuel Lind

Queen

Mamacita
with round brown
hips
roll and sway
sway and roll
slow that stroll
she sings
to ease
her sticky soul
and smoothes
the slinky sateen
of her orange
skirt for a
perfect fit
for a queen.

I got soul
I got style
I ain’t no
perfect 10
but
I got soul
I got style
I sing myself
from mile
to mile.
Find a penny
in the Quarter

throw it high
throw it long
flip my wrist and
it be gone
make a wish
for my
baby brother
that he
get better
that he
get better
and then
we gon sing
and dance
together.
one day soon
we gon sing
and dance
together.

Listen to Emily Jon Tobias read her poem

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Emily Jon Tobias is an American author and poet with her debut story collection, MONARCH, forthcoming by Black Lawrence Press in May, 2024. She is an award-winning writer whose work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, along with other honorable mentions, and has been featured in various literary journals and magazines. Midwestern-raised, she now lives and writes on the coast of Southern California. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Pacific University Oregon.

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The Puerto Rican artist Samuel Lind’s work has been presented in museums and galleries in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, among others. In Puerto Rico, his work is shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santurce. To view more of his art, you can visit his website by clicking here, or by visiting his page at the Fine Arts website by clicking here

Listen to the 1965 performance of La Lupe singing “Elube Changó,” with Tito Puento [Universal Music Group]