Jiggaboo Jenkins

Political and Socially Conscious Free Verse Poetry

Black History Challenge
Poem #5
Jiggaboo Jenkins
Spent his whole
Life thinking of ways
Not to display to the
World that he was Black
In fact his was father was
Extremely dark skin
While his mother was
White gives you some
Insight into
How and why he lived
His life as "other"
Hoping that no one
Would discover his secret
As he thought it was cruel
To be defined by
The one drop rule
So he thought that
It would make sense
To misrepresent his
Pecan almond a*s
To all men especially
Those who were White
As the struggle for
Civil Rights
Never crossed his mind
As he stayed on the
Other side of the picket lines
Because he could not
Identify or understand
Why they were protesting
Because he was protecting
His lie this is how he's
Able to justify
His position by omitting
What he truly was
And that was Black
He left home and
Never looked back
Because the reality is
That he didn't want to
Live his life as a minority
Jiggaboo Jenkins aka
Jay Jay got away with
This for a short time
Until they discovered
His crime
And hung him by the
Vine
Never thought his own
Kind would do that
But when they discovered
He was Black
The deception needed
Correction
As the hate he tried
To escape
Left Jiggaboo Jenkins
Rotting and stinking
Because he was thinking
That his light pecan
Almond a*s would
Get a pass from all men
This is where his story
Begins and ends
Amen
020050002021 Nefarious J Dorsey ©

Author's Note

This is part of a challenge to write a different poem every day for the month of February for a grand total of 28.

Reviews

[Spamalot]

Okay, some problems:

1. Chopping an essay into a stack of small lines doesn’t make it poetry. And dropping in a few rhymes doesn't, either. But since it was a political piece, I've reviewed it as that.

2. The name you’ve chosen for the man is 100% racist, and in common useage as such when I lived in Alabama in the 60's. It’s not one he, or anyone, would have used as a name in life, so the reference to him being known as Jay Jay is contrived, and the “given” name is obviously a racist trope, chosen to push buttons. It matters not at all which side you fall on, or your intent, it’s deliberately offensive and therefore indefensible.

3. When restored to essay format there are some obvious problems:

a. The first line makes no sense. If you’re light enough to pass, and do, why would you spend your life trying to figure out how to do what you’ve already done? Obviously, a lot of the story you envision is still in your head, when it should have been on the page.

b. Based on the fact that, as the text says, his dad was “very” black, the “one drop rule,” was irrelevant to him because it refers to ancestry, not color. And with one "full blooded" parent of either designation the rule is irrelevant. Did you study history? I lived it, and can tell you that you’re way off here.

c. “Pecan almond a*s,” is another, deliberately offensive term, when used by either race.

d. “He stayed on the other side of ‘the’ picket lines?” Both sides had them. So what’s the other side? You’re saying that he did come out and was at the lines, but that makes no sense. He’d be the last person to appear at them, on either side.

e. You say, “…got away with this for a short time, until they discovered his crime.” But that doesn’t square with, “spent his whole life.”

f. “Never thought his own kind would do that?” But you clearly said, “truly was: and that was Black.” So you need to make up your mind. You say, he was lynched by “his own kind.”

Bottom line: You need to two two things. First, edit your work more carefully. And second, stop posting racist crap.
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The piece, presented as the essay it actually is:
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Jiggaboo Jenkins spent his whole life thinking of ways not to display to the world that he was Black.

In fact his (was) father was extremely dark skin(ed), while his mother was White gives you some insight into how and why he lived his life as "other," hoping that no one would discover his secret. As he thought it was cruel to be defined by the one drop rule.

So he thought (that) it would make sense to misrepresent his “pecan almond a*s” to all men, especially those who were White.

As the struggle for civil rights never crossed his mind; as he stayed on the other side of the picket lines; because he could not identify or understand why they were protesting; because he was protecting his lie. This is how he's able to justify his position by omitting what he truly was: and that was Black.

He left home and never looked back, because the reality is that he didn't want to live his life as a minority.

Jiggaboo Jenkins aka Jay Jay got away with this for a short time, until they discovered his crime, and hung him by the vine.

Never thought his own kind would do that, but when they discovered he was black the deception needed correction. As the hate he tried to escape left Jiggaboo Jenkins rotting and stinking because he was thinking that his “light pecan a”lmond a*s would get a pass from white men

This is where his story begins and ends

Amen

[Jerome F Knox III pseudonym Nefarious J. Dorsey]

First thank you for taking the time to review this poem and there are some interesting things I find with your review.
1. Your name fits you so for me this is a lengthy "spam" but I am taking some positive points from it.
2. It was never meant to be an "essay" rather is "free verse" where conventional rules are forsaken. In all of my published works this has been stated as my style. I have been writing this way since 1976.
3. The name you’ve chosen for the man is 100% racist...a racist trope, chosen to push buttons...all of my poetry is designed to do that and since you hail from Alabama I already have preconceived notions about your thought process in relation to this poem and in general.
4. When restored to essay format there are some obvious problems..yes there are, it is a "free verse" poem not intended to be an essay.
5. The first line makes no sense. If you’re light enough to pass, and do, why would you spend your life trying to figure out how to do what you’ve already done? Obviously, a lot of the story you envision is still in your head, when it should have been on the page. These stanzas were designed to help you see the dilemma he faced in his "head" and not to be confused about what I wasn't conveying. This indirectly reflects the internal struggles within my race between Light-Skin Blacks vs Dark Skinned Blacks. This subject was explored in the movie "School Daze" by Spike Lee.
6. The opening stanzas give you a glimpse at his struggle with identity and how it affected his relationship with his father or should I say lack thereof because of the color of his father's skin which he couldn't relate to.
7. Based on the fact that, as the text says, his dad was “very” black, the “one drop rule,” was to irrelevant to him because it refers to ancestry, not color. And with one "full blooded" parent of either designation the rule is irrelevant. Did you study history? I lived it, and can tell you that you’re way off here. Just in case you didn't know I am African-American, I am also a 60's baby and my point here is that because of these stereotypes was the reasons he choose to relate to his mother and not his father. Again growing up in Baltimore I heard about the "one drop" rule and because of this he would not succumb to the idea that he was Black and again this affected his relationship with his father.

Jiggaboo Jenkins
Spent his whole
Life thinking of ways
Not to display to the
World that he was Black
In fact his was father was
Extremely dark skin
While his mother was
White gives you some
Insight into
How and why he lived
His life as "other"
Hoping that no one
Would discover his secret
These lines were meant to help you, the reader to reach the conclusion and again allow you to see his thought process.
8. “Pecan almond a*s,” is another, deliberately offensive term, when used by either race. You are correct here and is meant to be offensive and serves as a point of reference of having a younger sister that is extremely light skin nearly white looking. Also the line is part of my poetic rhyming style: Pecan Almond A*s from all men...thanks for highlighting this line because I have to correct this.
9. You keep mentioning that this was a chopped essay which it is not. In college I was taught that an essay has an opening topic, followed by a minimum of 3 sentences that make points and sets the expectation of the reader. Each one of those sentences in the beginning then become paragraphs with at least 4 sentences to support the opening of the topic sentence. Lastly, the final paragraph illustrates and ties up what was stated before which I usually use the word "recapitulate". So now with all of that being said this is not an essay, was not intended to be and is "free verse" poetry. Definition of Free Verse: Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm, and does not rhyme with fixed forms.
10. If you find this offensive wait until I post Jiggaboo Jane, Sambo Rogers and the Secrets Of Mrs. Jackson. If you can't wait for me to post them, I have a whole bunch of poetry that would offend you. Thanks for taking the time to leave your review, I will take the positive aspects of your review and make any changes if they are warranted.

[Jerome F Knox III pseudonym Nefarious J. Dorsey]

Sorry I forgot to comment on these points that you have made:

1.He stayed on the other side of ‘the’ picket lines?” Both sides had them. So what’s the other side? You’re saying that he did come out and was at the lines, but that makes no sense. He’d be the last person to appear at them, on either side. Actually he the other side had some unique meanings. First the "other" side meant how he saw himself which is not Black like his father. The "other" side meant the side of the picket line that was upholding unjust laws. He felt that if he stood with Whites that would solidify that he indeed was "White" in his mind.

2.You say, “…got away with this for a short time, until they discovered his crime.” But that doesn’t square with, “spent his whole life.” Actually his whole life up to the point where he was lynched was short lived. This was talking about the duration of his life and the way he chose to live it.
f. “Never thought his own kind would do that?” But you clearly said, “truly was: and that was Black.” So you need to make up your mind. You say, he was lynched by “his own kind.” He was lynched in several ways, a. by the Whites who he identified with, b. lynched by his failed relationship with his father, c. lynched by his own kind because of his complexion, d. and lynched by the "one drop" rule.

[Jerome F Knox III pseudonym Nefarious J. Dorsey]

I am African- American I have lived from the 60's to current. I live my life in constant fear and I write from those fears so that others can see my pain and what life is like being a minority in the United States. I make no apologies for the way I write or what I write about as America fails to apologize for their continuous mistreatment of my race. I am come to accept that my poetry is not for everyone and I am ok with that fact.