Day 7: National Poetry Month: Nikki Giovanni "You Were Gone"

The first week of National Poetry Month has flown by! And, I have stayed faithful to writing a poem a day and re-reading and posting my favorite poetry.

Yesterday, I shared a poem by my favorite male poet. Today, I want to share a short and sweet poem by my #1 poet overall.

Nikki Giovanni is the reason I write. Although her first book of poetry, Black Feelings, Black Talk, was released 20 years before my birth, when I first read one of her poems for Black History Month in the 4th grade, I have loved and written poetry since then.

This week, I have been reading poems from a book my sister purchased for me that includes her poetry from 1968-1998.

Enjoy "You Were Gone"

***NO Copy Infringement is intended***

You Were Gone
by: Nikki Giovanni

You were gone
     like a fly lighting
     on that wall
     with a spider in the corner
You were gone
     like last week's paycheck
     for this week's bills
You were gone
     like the years between 
     twenty-five and thirty
     as if somehow
You never existed
     and if it wouldn't be
     for the gray hairs
     I'd never know that
You had come


This is a new week filled with new opportunities. Make it a great one!

-T. Amour