From the page to the stage is a must evolution for poets of color. Performing their poem live affirms their power and strengthens communities - just by sharing their truth. I am a strong believer in performing one’s work. The tone, movement, and breath enhances a poem. Sometimes a poem is just meant to be performed because it can get lost on the page. Detecting a poet’s humor, irony or anger on one’s own is a little more tricky but if you hear a poet read their work live then there is a better understanding of what the poet’s intentions were. Willie Perdomo’s poem “Nigger Reecan Blues” is a great example of a poem elevating from academia to urban and street to insider and outsider perspectives.
There is a openness to Perdomo’s piece - his first person narrative invites the reader to share his humor and search for his identity. On the page the words are displaced and as a reader there is a connection to discover what his identity really is. Interestingly, the word coconut and Míralo are the only words that stands out and alone among the words. I feel he did this to emphasize look at his color. Coconut is usually referred in a community of people of color when someone is trying to be white. Brown on the outside and white on the inside. There is a raw reaction to this choice. Especially having the word coconut stand alone even though its referring to his hair. Yet, hair can be an identifier for one’s culture and since Perdomo’s identity is being questioned every which way - his hair is a marker that he is black.

The African slave trade brought Africans to Puerto Rico. I feel Perdomo’s poem calls out to the many ways his appearance lumps him into one category, even though he may look black, he is Puerto Rican before he is a poet, before he is spic. He uses two racially charged terms in his poem that are harsh and conjure many emotions for me. To be called a spic is the same as being called a nigger.During his performance the different voices from the men come to life. I find it interesting that he chooses to have this dialogue with men. I think its a great choice because he is addressing community and manhood. He consciously chooses this and not a dialogue with a woman who may question his masculinity and machismo.
This is a poem about his drowning in other people's perceptions and surfacing to the top to say: "Boricua I am."

Truly a fan of his work
(took his class at VONA and absolutely loved it!!)

in poetry & pen,
Melissa