"One" by James Berry

Only one of me
and nobody can get a second one
from a photocopy machine.

Nobody has the fingerprints I have.
Nobdoy can cry my tears, or my laugh my laugh
or have any expectancy when I wait.

But anybody can mimic my dance with my dog.
Anybody can howl how I sing out of tune.
And mirrors can show me multiplied
many times, say, dressed up in red
or dressed up in grey.

Nobody can get into my clothes for me
or feel my fall for me, or do my running.
Nobody hears my music for me, either.

I am just this one.
Nobody else makes the words
I shape with sound, when I talk.

But anybody can act how I stutter in a rage.
Anybody can copy echoes I make.
And mirrors can show me multiplied
many times, say, dressed up in green
or dressed up in blue.

Looking at Miss World (Grace Nichols)

Tonight the fat black woman

is all agaze

will some Miss (plump at least

if not fat and black) uphold her name

The fat black woman awaits in vain

slim after slim aspirant appears

baring her treasures in hopeful despair

this the fat black woman can hardly bear

And as the beauties yearn

and the beauties yearn

the fat black woman wonders

when will the beauties

ever really burn

O the night wears on

the night wears on

judges mingling with chiffons

The fat black woman gets up

and pours some gin

toasting herself as a likely win.