![]() Aerik Francis is a Queer Black & Latinx poet & teaching artist based in Denver, Colorado, USA. Aerik is a recipient of poetry fellowships from CantoMundo and The Watering Hole. They are event coordinator for Slam Nuba and a poetry reader for Underblong poetry journal. You can find links to their published work through their social media on IG/TW @phaentompoet _Bebop_
“[B]op referred to the way a man in particular walked down the street. It was his signature to the world!” –Afaa Michael Weaver Bouncing with a bounce that announced us three, a trio of Black cuties, faded and insisting to get more twisted, we enlisted the assistance of a Lyft ride to safely get us to music and club lights. Stopped in a stopping zone, we are stopped by a cop: What do you think you are doing bebopping across the street? Dizzy and shocked by the hunting of this hawk, we paused – the driver paused – lost, only to notice the cop was talking to us. Driver-side window down, he scowled at us in the back, passengers waiting for an answer to a foreclosed question. We clearly must have been improvising or riffing or scatting & step-skipping– Why did he think we were bebopping across the street? Clogging up the stopping zone in gridlock the cop could not find a law -ful reason to fee or lock us so he clocked us & blocked us until he walked off. Not even jaywalking, just walking while Black with the singing swagger of our swinging staggers– What else could we think but be, bopping across the street?
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