I Can Say That Word

National Poetry Month

I Can Say That Word

By Hector Luis Alamo, Jr.

Whenever a friend who’s black
comes up to me with the greeting “Sup, my n—-?”
I always answer back
Porque I can say that word

Sometimes they make a face
and they tentatively ask me, “Are you even black?”
But I put them in their place
Hombre, I can say that word

All the slaves weren’t in the South
Those slaves ships that brought us did sail to other places
See the lips around my mouth?
¡Coño! I can say that word

On the auction block of history
we were given their names and fed their religion
Our past became our mystery
Ahora I can say that word

In the humid heart of Brasil
there we toiled over cotton and gathered cane
with a blackness just as real
Por eso I can say that word

To Panamá we were sent
The riches of the world passed through our canal
On Honduran fruit we were spent
Claro, I can say that word

There in Puerto Rico we thrived
Our African drums sang songs of bruises and independence
Then in Cuba gave our lives
Oye, I can say that word

Like the coffee in your cappuccino
Or the stereo bumping salsa, bachata or jazz music
None of that without Afro-Latinos
Bailando, I can say that word

From Cristóbal Colón to today
Black Latinos have succeeded in slavery and suffered in freedom
So about the word I can’t say
Mira, I can say that word