FELIPE LUCIANO

Excerpt from Do or Die: Written by Felipe Luciano in response to this photograph (1980). Felipe used to be the head of the young lord and now has a show very Saturday afternoon where you can learn a lot about Puerto Rican music and politics.

No Matter What They Say

You kicked his ass, Darryl You were lovely The way you spun around In his own corner And snapped his spit out With a loud punch Papi, did you see that? Oh God, Darryl, you were beautiful The way you danced The way you side-stepped hum The way you almost never had to throw a punch, And the one you did was so fast We didn’t see the effect till the guy hit the canvas. I love the way you did that, Darryl Your Black shoulders rippling with each lunge The way you covered up with that Pretty style of yours Bobbing and weaving Peaking out Peering through the gloves Speed-testing his every move Timing the punches The flurries of blows You told me Niggers are so fast now You have to deal in milliseconds And then, suddenly, Pop, mother-fucker Pop-Pop-Pop A solid left to the side of the head To put sense in the motherfucker And another quick short snappy Left cross to the cheek To let him know you’re serious and hungry It was your fight From the beginning, Darryl Papi told me after five seconds of the first round He said he tried you so well He knows almost before the first punch is thrown How you will move And what you would do given any crisis In the ring Darryl I love you I love the way you move The way you fear no one in the ring or out I love the way you jump in your robe Right after the announcer starts to rap You’re beautiful, Negrito And I, Tony Jesus Oretga-Falu, Want to be like you when I grow up