Page 106 of The Black Flamingo

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not mixed like me.

He is only a little bit taller

than me but he’s stocky—

I can’t tell if it’s muscle or fat

because he wears a baggy

black Nike tracksuit.

He has locs like me

but longer and thicker.

Lennie looks strong.

After our lecture the next day,

we walk together and

I say, while passing the spliff,

“I didn’t want to speak to you

just because we’re both black with locs.”

I say, “I don’t like white people

to know I smoke weed—

they assume I’m a dealer.”

Lennie says, “I only smoke weed

for my chronic back pain.”

I applaud

his clever use

of the Dr. Dre reference.

He doesn’t know it.

I say, “How can you not know Dr. Dre?”

Lennie replies, laughing,

“Why aren’t you a drug dealer?”

Lennie and I laugh about white people

always trying to touch our hair.

“What baffles me,” I say, “is when they ask

but their hand is already there.”

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