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“Nina Simone,” by Jerrice J. Baptiste
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Dear Nina,
I first heard your voice singing in my dormitory room. My roommate Sheila played your song I Want Some Sugar in My Bowl. She showed me the albums that proved your deep voice was female. As we listened more closely, I could hear the warmth, the splendor of your womanly voice. Even decades later, I’m hooked like a fish, grateful to be in the flow of your music.
We had a ritual of cooking spaghetti for dinner, and setting up the CD player with the chosen album. Our forks twirled, while your voice drowned out the noise of collegiate living. Sometimes, we splurged on a bottle of wine, had our red cups ready and sang along in deep pitch. We’d fall asleep to Wild is The Wind, then woke up at dawn, with the silence that followed.
We were known as the two strange black girls who listened to that deep manly person’s voice each night. We had a poster of you in our room. Sheila bought it at a chic record store in the East village. It simply had your name Nina Simone, and your photograph with your exquisite dark skin. The poster from the sixties showed your pensive face like you were thinking of your next fierce song, Mississippi Goddamn, where you grieved the violence and racism on this land.
Nina, you would be shocked, we’re still grieving our brothers and sisters now. The power of your voice echoes in my mind, when I hear of another black person brutalized, and shot. Nina, there are two of us who sing along to Willow Weep for Me.
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Jerrice J Baptiste is an artist, poet, author of nine books. Her most recent book titled, Coral in The Diaspora published by Abode Press (August 2024). She’s been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize by Jerry Jazz Musician Magazine 2024 & Abode Press 2025, and as Best of The Net in 2022 by Blue Stem. Her writing has been published or is forthcoming in One Art: Poetry Journal, Neologism, The Write Launch, Lolwe, The Banyan Review, Ecotheo Review, Mantis, The Yale Review, The Lake, Artemis Journal and hundreds of others. She facilitates poetry as a returning teaching artist at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. Her poems & collaborative songwriting are featured on the Grammy nominated album-Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti.
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Listen to the 1966 recording Nina Simone performing the Dimitri Tiomkin/Ned Washington song “Wild is the Wind” [Nina Simone]
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Wow, Jerrice. What a stunning poem. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world.
Thank you so much Allison! It’s a privilege to share this with the world!
Joy
Jerrice
Very touching, Jerrice. How our world doesn’t change is sad commentary on human beings. Well done: both portrait and poem!
Thank you Carolyn! It’s so appreciated your comment. I’m glad you love both the portrait & poem!
Joy,
Jerrice
Again Jerrice has managed to nail her devotion to her art with flowing elegance. Beautiful. She did Nina Simone proud.
Thanks so much Mary! Thanks for the compliment about making Nina Simone proud!
Joy
Jerrice
So important and touching, Jerrice.
Thank you Anya for reading and feeling touched by the poem & portrait!
Joy
Jerrice
Love reading all Jerrica writes! You can feel her soul in her writings! Love This!
Thanks Catherine! I’m so touched by your comment! Thanks for visiting Jerry Jazz Musician Magazine!
Joy
Jerrice
I love Jerrice’s letter to Nina Simone. She explains college life and how her music played a part in it. The painting portrays a classy woman. I thought I’d heard her voice and remembered that her song “Sinnerman” was in the Miami Vice Movie soundtrack.
Thank you so much Kathleen for reading! It’s wonderful you love my portrait of Nina Simone and commenting on the imagery of the poem! Thanks for visiting Jerry Jazz Musician Magazine!
Joy
Jerrice
I so enjoyed Jerrice’s Dear Nina poem.
The simplicity of her drawing had an intimate beauty. Thank you for creating.
Thanks so much Sandi! So glad you enjoyed my poem and portrait of Nina Simone!
Joy
Jerrice
I found Jerrice’s tribute to Nina Simon very moving. I enjoyed her sharing how she would listen and appreciate Nina’s unusually deep voice and what it meant to her. It is a beautiful voice and moved Jerrice to write this moving poem. I loved that there is a drawing and photo of Jerrice included and I enjoyed listening to Nina on the video.
Thanks Barbara! it pleases me to read your comment on my poem about Nina Simone! I’m glad you were moved by both my drawing and poem! Thanks for visiting Jerry Jazz Musician Magazine!
Happy Summer!
Joy
Jerrice