American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN
in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)

American Sonnet 51

BY WANDA COLEMAN

in my last incarnation i inoculated myself

with oodles of dago red and stumbled into fame

without falling. i worshipped in the temple of Lady Day

and took Coltrane as my wizard. i always wore my mink coat

to the Laundromat and drank pale champagne with my

soft-boiled eggs. i believed King Kong got a raw deal.

i believe great and prolonged sex cured cancer. i believed

in the afterdeath. i was liberator of cough-and-gaggers

from the cages of their spew. i scavenged rusted auto parts,

built a niggah machine, loaded it with atomic amour and

wiped out all purveyors of poverty. . . swapped my pink

pearl for a black sapphire. and then one quincentennial

i rose from the magnificent effluvium of my jazz

to discover my children did not know me

Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet 51" from Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems. Copyright © 2020 by Wanda
Coleman. Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Wanda Coleman, Black Sparrow / David R Godine, Publisher, Inc.,
godine.com.

Source: Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press (Godine), 2020)