Poem by Rougie, inspired by Frank O'Hara
It was 2:20a.m in New York City a Saturday
5days before h.s graduation
7days before my 18 bday.
It is 2010 and I was excited to know I will be
done with h.s only one week left.
I was woken to the constant phone calls, text
& AIM messages
I received about 20 text messages,
Almost each text read as “you know MJ170 got
stab" or “MJ170 is dead"
I am lying in bed sleeping.
I was probably dreaming of what color of dresses
and shoes to buy for my graduation
Or even who should I invite to my bday celebration
night out
I check my phone and saw all the miss calls and
texts
New incoming
Amadou:
"I know u not still sleeping or ignorring all the calls u proly got n
txts, mj170 was stab 2x in de heart last nite, he is dead... Come to his house
asap"
Me: it’s not April fool, so idc
Amadou: I am serious he is really dead he in de morgue.
Me: ok good for ya
it was not clicking inside of me, that yes it
could probably be true
I just didn’t and couldn’t expect it to be true,
just can’t.
3:15pm now 7 of them came to check on me.
I am watching Tv relaxing in my room
Kadi, dija, tima,nisha, kaytwoo, aicha and fatou
walked in my room
All at the
same time: “you can’t be serious n still denying mj's death”
Me: it’s not April, so I won’t allow ya to fool me
in mid. June, no
Got dressed went to his house, still in denial of
his death
Front door picture of him with big caption that
reads:
R.I.P MOHAMED BOBO JALLOH
10/10/91 TO 6/20/10
S.I.P GONE,
BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
As soon as I saw that, my heart drop
But still can’t expect it to be true
Got in the elevator to till 6 floor
So crowed you can hardly see the floor,
impossible to walk without people moving.
The mom and sister ran to me both crying even
harder now
Mom “bobo an on mahei yoo ah ci ra bhei”, which
means in English “my baby is dead, my daughter in-law”
Sister “Rougie, koto an mahei, fe hon dhon, fe hon
dhon, aayy Allah fe hon dhon yoo Rougie” which means “Rougie my brother is
dead, why? Why? Oh my God, why? Rougie”
I was speechless, tears drop that was my only
response
Spent hours trying to comfort them, they just wouldn’t
stop crying or asking why
Left the living room, went in his bedroom where
the rest of the girls where
Everyone sharing their memories of and with him
I seat alone, tears dropping like water falls
I couldn’t speak of nothing because I didn’t know
where to start.
Everyone sharing, I am tearing up, they trying to
make me laugh, just wouldn’t laugh
Till today, when I think of him I start to tear
up
Never got the chance to say “thank you for
showing me how to love and care and for always putting me first”
To tearing up as I wrote this, I know we’ll meet
again in a better place “HEAVEN”.