Friday Feature: Nnenna Loveth
Nnenna Loveth (they/she) is an Igbo lesbian poet, dancer, and facilitator who tells stories of liberated Black matrilineal futures. They are utilizing the relationship between dance and poetry to explore themes of Black sapphic intimacies, mother-daughter connections, Odinala, and healing from christian-colonial missions. Her work has been published with Game Over Books, Button Poetry, Voicemail Poems, Beestung Magazine, etc. When Nnenna is not creating, they are somewhere being romanced by the trees. Please follow their journey on Instagram @pleausre.as.compass
Villanelle for all my Bitches
After Cardi B’s Salute.
I love all my sad bitches, mad bitches and bad bitches.
I love my bitches with cargo shorts and hightop fades.
I love my red-lipstick lesbian leaving-bite-mark-bitches
my brolic play-with-me-if-you-want-to-type bitches
my honeyed drawl-dripped accent bitches
my bitches skin dark, sweetened by the sun's serenade.
I love my Naija-babe-diaspora-roll-deep-bitches
my only-drink-coconut-water-bitches, laid under palm shade.
I love my boughetto bitches.
I bought brunch with stamps—still am gonna feed all my bitches.
Chop life ooo! Accept sweetness no less than lemonade.
Shout out to my strong right hand bitches
press’n for juice still, when lifes’ lemons some sour bitches.
Learn from me and my bitches. Look at us promenade
sundressed and gold-dripped, I know we some bad bitches.
Let the world watch me and my bitches
glide on concrete. Toes-ten, painted painted the shade
a man's blood. Can’t afford red bottoms and we still some fly bitches.
Souls so rich every sidewalk sings salute, the real bitches!
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Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats.
