Bring back the grudge — the 90s era

a sweeter place… for me —

hickory rhapsody // doorless Jeep — Mablean Judge.

When youngins’ would have parachute dreams —

like… to league a rugged-soul movement —

sculpting a new sound— becoming an urban sitcom phenomenon —

Milky-pen me — a lyric of Jason —

the era of slap bracelets… 702’s Get It Together —

back when we rolled up — on Big Wheels —

ragtop… Bop It —

swarming through… neighbor’s menthol smoke —

bubble-gum tape… double skip rope —

young antennas wide-eyed —

when our kinfolk eyes… was rooting us supreme —

Tonka-lifting… the Captain America in me —

I think I can — I think I can —

flashes of loud proud becoming

Not like a fad… hunter green balloon valances —

or same shade as cold hard cash —

but 10,000 things… they love about you.

Color me razz — that kind of mood.

Polaroid us — with the WB frog —

a Cootie catcher… Bay-Watching us —

when we Dreamcast — of Cosby —

Boomerang back — Poitier —

Montel… at midday —

James Earl Jones — Crooklyn’s Spike Lee —

enterprise rising —

something a younging… can look up to.

Tail back —

Dunkaroos — Softee hair grease,

watching Ren & Stimpy buffoons —

not dipping us… in tie-dye — True Lies —

Shay Club Shay… Jangaleg —

But a time stalled / that won’t ricochet —

Bring back the dancery —

jamming… to Raphael Saadiq — in the Pontiac —

all our indigo… mood rings.

Ask Jeeves —

if he’s found it yet — that rewound town —

boom-box era of belief.

Oak Morse lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and holds an MFA from Warren Wilson and an MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi. He won the 2025 Larry Levis Post-Graduate Award and the 2024 A Public Space Writing Fellowship. Oak has received support from PEN America and has won fellowships from Brooklyn Poets, Twelve Literary Arts, Cave Canem's Starshine, and Clay, as well as a Stars in the Classroom honor from the Houston Texans. His work appears in POETRY, Callaloo, Electric Literature, Black Warrior Review, Rattle, Witness, Obsidian, Painted Bride Quarterly and Hobart, amongothers. www.oakmorse.com