you stopped me after my reading at your school—noosed
a paternal arm around my neck, wrinkled white worms
applying pressure on the opposite shoulder—and encouraged me
to write happier poems sure to inspire Black children.
From “an open letter to “the least racist person [he] know[s]”
Last year, Dr. Matthew E. Henry released a micro-chapbook titled have you heard the one about…? (Ghost City Press) as a part of their 2023 Summer Micro Chap Series. I typically read a few of the chaps in their summer series to fill out a yearly attempt at the Sealey Challenge. But I hadn’t had a chance do so so last year, and will be covering a few as a part of the ongoing TPQ initiative to cover books from the last 5 years on Throwback Thursday’s.
Now let’s get into it. Matthew E. Henry’s poems never cease to surprise me. I love the way he leans into his role as a poet and an educator. Just when you think Dr. MEH has confronted every angle of the halls that a Black teacher roams, here comes Henry with another poem still fresh and equally innovative.
A while back, I blurbed Matthew E. Henry’s debut full-length collection the colored page with Sundress Publications. have you heard the one about…? almost feels like an extended play’s worth of punchy poems filled to the brim both in humor and harsh realities of being a Black educator in New England.
In the poem, “on the morning I was cancelled by the CRT karens” Dr. MEH pens:
“both confused by the communal judgment and labels received
for their willful actions. the kids got it. later they asked
if people ever got angry seeing themselves in my lines. asked
how I handle the hate of white women 1500 miles away,”
This poem is important not only for its thunderous fearless diction, but also for its truth contained beyond the language. Henry is facing the peak of a contemporary literary struggle — the parental policing of literature in schools. He feels both sides of this coin as the teacher and the poet, roles he is both praised and condemned for at times. The Karens in the poem not only represent the archetype of person condemning MEH. At the same time, the sonic clap back that this poem it, gives the energy right back at her.
My favorite thing about this chapbook is that each part one operates under a poetic venn diagram that is filled with the perfect amount of seriousness to bring his words to power, but also the perfect amount of humor to add levity, and make you want to know what comes next.
have you heard the one about…? is a short read packed with deep meanings. Every teacher facing similar battles should read it. He may just match your frustration. It is a fierce chapbook filled with free verse, but also genre busting forms that include a poem as a bingo board.
I am thankful for the expression that comes from MEH. I hope he never gives into the vitriolic trolls he faces in the classroom as a teacher, and the world as an artist.