Scary People – Uncle Uji

So uji him

He no moa shame

Everytime show up at family gatherings

Ack like everyting all good

But if you look everybody’s face

Side eye kine

So dey no catch you

So your questioning eyes

No make dem feel shame

You goin see

Dey know

Everybody know

From da smallest baby

To da oldest no moa teet tutu

Dey know he stay da kine

But dey no do shit

I dunno why

Jus see

But no look

Jus pretend

He not deah

He circles da pahty

Like a fuckin shark

Laughing

Making jokes

Side eyeing us

His stink ass ano fills da space

Leaving no room fo anyone to breathe

To be brave

Stealing our voices

 

He no moa shame

We no moa balls

 

So uji him

He was li dat

From small keed time

Aunties whispah

His faddah made him li dat

Uncle A was da original uji man

Wat da hell

Dat’s some fucked up shit

But you know wat is moa worse

Even den

People knew

But neva do shit

Same ol

Same ol

 

So uji him

But jus wait

One day

I goin buss his uji ass

One day

If he stand or sit too close

All up in my space

If he try fo give me money

Fo no reason

If he touch my ass, chichis, or nan

One moa time

“By accident”

I goin fuck him up

I goin call him out on his bullshit

In front of everybody

EVERY TIME

I not goin let him hide in plain sight

I goin steal his laughtah

I goin remind everybody

Make sure everybody know

How uji he is

Talk story

  1. skcruz says:

    Wow – this is such an impactful piece. The way it navigated through the emotions and perspectives involved in abuse took me on a journey through familiar feelings of anger, sadness and numbness that I have felt when hearing friend’s and family’s stories like this. Thank you for giving a space to feel and process that all through words; it’s an uncomfortable but necessary homage. Mahalo.

  2. chinmaria says:

    I can’t be the only one overwhelmed with feelings of anger and frustration after reading this poem. Does every family have an Uncle Uji that no one confronts? Maybe this poem is finally an accusation not only against Uncle Uji but against us for not doing anything – for letting him live after destroying the lives of the innocent. I love this poem because of its truth spoken in the language of and for the victims.

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