She means tired tired
She means tired down to the marrow of her bones
Down to her nerves and in her sinews.
She means tired tired.

She don't mean a right now tired, where you can get rested up after awhile tired
She means a long way back tired.
Generations and Generations and Generations of tired
Inherited tired
That she got from her mama and her grandmamma and her great grandmamma and even her great great grandmamma
Years and years and years of tired
She means tired tired.

When a Black Woman says she is tired
Miles and years and centuries tired.
She means having to serve as Nefertiti's handmaiden tired and trying to stay comely before Solomon tired.
She means coming over the slave ship tired and being sold on the block tired
She means slaving in the fields and hot sun tired and bearing children and having them sold tired.
She means tired tired

When a Black Woman says she tired
She means surviving without a man tired and raising children by herself tired
She means surviving with a man tried and working and encouraging him tired
And boosting and supporting him tired
She means tired tired

She means the combined tired of Black Women everywhere and of all times and of all their tears and of all their fears and of all their pain and grief and exhaustion
So when a Black Woman says she tried
She means tired tired tired tired tired tired.

© 2005 By Charlotte A. Bacon