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POEM "WAITRESS / SUPPOSE" BY CARIBBEAN AMERICAN POET JIHAN RAMROOP



Overall, this poetic collection touches on cultural identity, human struggle and womanhood. The meaning behind the title portrays that brown girls are much more than any negativity surrounding us. Ramroop’s tone sends the message that brown girls should put themselves first and take the time to realize self-worth. “We Used to Waitress,” is a great body of work and is a must-have in every brown girl’s collection of great reads.

~ EXCERPT FROM BOOK REVIEW BY NATALIA SURUJNATH PUBLISHED IN BROWN GIRL MAGAZINE, APRIL 15, 2021.


JIHAN RAMROOP, born in Queens, New York, is an Indo-Caribbean American poet, playwright, and actress. Daughter of Guyanese immigrant parents, she was raised in Fort Pierce, Florida, and Georgetown, Guyana. She graduated in Theatre and Performance at the Purchase College of the State University of New York (SUNY). We Used to Waitress, published in 2020, is her first collection of poetry. She lives in upstate New York.



Photo by Em Hampton published on the Poet's Website.



WAITRESS / SUPPOSE BY JIHAN RAMROOP



brown girl is

"not supposed to be waitress"

"not supposed to be loud"

"not supposed to drink alcohol"

"not supposed to be proud"


brown girl is

supposed to be quiet

from the day you are born

because that is how

you'll keep trouble

from coming around


brown girl

wear the correct clothes

brown girl

say the correct things

brown girl

walk on the line

and brown girl

do not get off it


brown girl

don't be bad

don't write words

don't be sad


be a doctor

lawyer

wife

be a wife

wife, wife, wife



WAITRESS / SUPPOSE continued



be a mother

next because

you know that means

you're doing good

nice ring on your finger

must mean he loves you


brown girl stop

don't cry

don't get mad

don't get sad


brown girl

don't even try to be

too happy


brown girl

suppose

brown girl

suppose

suppose you stop

waiting on them all


brown girl

suppose

brown girl

suppose

suppose you start

waiting on yourself

first of all


SOURCE: We Used to Waitress, debut poetry collection by Jihan Ramroop, USA, 2020.