"I Wanted to Snatch Her Purse"

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I wanted to walk by her and snatch her purse.
I mean, that's what she thought I was gonna do anyway,
judging by how tightly she grabbed it and pulled it close to her
like it was her child and I was the evil kidnapper.

Maybe I'm just sensitive to this type of thing
and maybe she was just pulling it close
to make more room for me to sit by her and
in fact that frightened look on her face was really her way of smiling.
Some people look like they are frowning
but they're really overjoyed and others have a look of overjoy,
but they're really frowning inside, like I was that day.

I was tired from my basketball workout and
tired of trying to work out ways to let white people
know that I am "OKAY".
Tired of smiling or cracking a joke as if to say,
"See I'm funny, I don't want your money!"

How many different methods and techniques
have I used to try to get the same point across?
I used to pull out my cell phone and perpetrate like I was talking.
But then every thug in the universe got a cell phone.
So, then I pretended like I was talking some real big white stuff, right
like stocks and bonds and stuff, but that didn't work out too well either,
cause I really didn't know the lingo and all I could say was,
"SELL, SELL, SELL!"

I realized early on it didn't matter what I did,
white ladies would still clutch their belongings,
like I want their baggage.
Even sistas sometimes fear my complexion
and that hurts me more than anybody else could.
My own people are scared of me.

It doesn't matter what I have on.
Three piece designer suit, briefcase and all,
unless I can take off my blackness,
unbutton my like a button down shirt
pull down my roots like tailor made pants,
strip off my soul like Hanes underwear
unless I can get buck naked
wash all of the color out of my body,
I will always be feared that I'm gonna take something.

Take your purse. Take virginity. Take your job.
Take your place in society. Take your life.
Like there is something that you have that I want.

I admit. I can look a little rough at times.
I'm even scared of me sometimes.
Like when I wake up in the morning,
I'm scared to look in the mirror,
there's a chance that I may look like a Creature Feature Film of the week.
And don't let me put on my shades, beenie on my head and some sweatpants,
man I can take anything I want those days.

I'll be in a long line at the grocery store,
all I have to do is act like I'm in a hurry,
like I have a bank to rob or something.
The people ahead of me will start gettting all nervous and stuff,
"Uh, you can go ahead of me." They politely say.
I act like I'm struggling to smile
then I put on my best imitation gangster walk
until I walk out the sto', I keep a snarl on my face,
letting them punks know that I'm a mean mamma-jamma!! (ROUGH)

Anyway, back to this day, I wanted to snatch her purse
and then punch her in the face.
I mean, that's what she thought I was gonna do anyway,
sometimes I do think with that tendency.
I might as well give them a reason to be fearing me.
Or maybe I should just snatch the purse, put some money in it,
and then give it back to her, cause I probably have more money than her anyway.

To all the ones that fear me:
I'm not saying don't be scared.
If you see a black guy running toward you with a gun in his hand
RUN! Scream for help!
Don't try to be all politically correct and say that you don't have to fear all black men
just cause I said it...no, if he has a gun...RUN!
But, if a brotha is just trying to get on the bus looking for a place to sit.
You don't have to fear him.
You don't have to fear me, I just want to sit down.
If you are going to be cautious of me, be cautious of everyone.
Don't wait til you get out of your white plush neighborhood
to lock your doors, no lock your door right when you get in the car.

Cause I know that they don't tell you this much on T.V.,
But white guys do crime, too...shhhhhhhh!
It's a secret!

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Poetri, the poet,·is one of the top and most visible spoken word artists on the scene. He was blessed to be chosen as one of the first poets for the Peabody Award winning HBO series Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam Presents· Poetri was then selected to co-write and star in the Broadway critically-acclaimed play based on the HBO series, which garnered him his very first TONY AWARD. He has been featured on ABC, NBC, CNN, BET, VH-1, and has his own show coming out this winter. All of this along with an episode of starting Over·where he helps a lady come out of her shell and tell her husband how she really feels!! The Power of Poetri· mean, Poetry! And look for him on the national Arbys commercial that is playing on your TV now! People all over are talking about his already classic pieces "Krispy Kreme" ,"Money" and Dating Myself· which have been heard in major theaters around the world. From the festivals in Australia and New Zealand to the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles and the Beacon Theater in New York, his presence seems to be everywhere, even in the skies. He is the voice of the popular radio show on Delta Airlines called non-Stop Pop· Spoken word is in full stride and Poetri is leading the way.

Poetri, the producer,·has written, produced and arranged over 150 commercials for radio and television for Nike, NFL Films, and BET. He has worked with such legends as Curtis Mayfield, Bootsy Collins and Nona Hendrix. Also, add some of today's stars like LL Cool J, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Ahmir Thompson (The Roots) and Sarah Jones. He was selected to write and perform poems urging Lebron James to sign with Nike. He is currently working on the much-anticipated hip-hop musical entitled BALL· Poetri oversees the writing of poetry and songs for the lead character. He is one of the first poets in this new generation to smash the theory that poets don't make any money·

Poetri, the business man, started his clothing company,POETRIWHERE?·in 2003. POETRIWHERE?·challenges any individual to find his/her own poetry through tolerance and self expression. Poetri also released his debut solo album entitled "Poetri...The Beginning of Po-Hop" (a collection of his funniest poems laced over hip-hop beats), which has sold over 5,000 copies worldwide without any distribution, strictly out of the trunk of his car. He is currently working on his second album, with Malcolm-Jamaal Warner and Ananda Lewis which is due out in February. Both albums and line are exclusively sold on his website www.Poetri.com (averaging well over 350,000 hits a month).

On the Los Angeles home front, he was listed as one of the year's FACES TO WATCH·by the Los Angeles Times and has been featured in the Times several times showcasing him and his spoken word venue, Da·Poetry Lounge. It is the largest and hottest weekly poetry venue in the nation, pulling in 350-400 people every Tuesday. Da·Poetry Lounge has not only broadened the appeal of spoken word in Los Angeles, but has become a haven for young people to come and express their emotions in a positive and supportive atmosphere. It is safe to say that Poetri is definitely doing his thing, and everyone else? thing, too. The sky is already paid for and owned by the man simply known as Poetri

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