luh’ friends

ever since I met ya/ I could peep the pressure - Tupac, “Can U Get Away”

you know I ain’t mess w/you ’cause of yo’ friends

wouldn’t have you caught slummin’

know you hood 'cause you said

I look the same

and I said

you look the same

and I said “it don’t crack, doit?

and you said “Uh, OKAY?”

that’s that thing right there

would love to take you somewhere we could be ignant as hell

make jokes out loud you just ’sposed to text or email

ones you message but don't post on Facebook

send you back to yo’ luh friends

yo luh’ fancy friends

that work for nonprofits

and foundations and colleges and shit

not that I can’t talk fancy too

I can use terms like microaggression

and heterosexist in sentences for you

but I’m country

I'm bound to slip that Bogalusa Opalocka Anson County in

liable to be where the Baptist church and the fatback at

come ride yo’ fine ass out for a minute

just me and you

dissertation committee ain’t gotta know you like Boosie

come be whoever you was ’fore you came up here for like five minutes

come get this dinner so I can send you back

’fore they find out you AWOL wit’ the riffraff

yo’ luh’ friends