With my stister (one of my biggest fans - okay you're one of my biggest fans too) at my side and the success we found selling books on the plane in our do-rags, we were ready. In Saint Marteen we sold in the airport security lines - in Anguilla we sold to the Taxi drivers - beach attendants - and hotel managers (Anguillians are ballers) and then came the wedding in which not only did I have the honor of serving as a bridesmaid and geisha (I conducted the Japanese tea ceremony complete with saki) but I also read a poem I wrote for my girl getting married.

The poem went over well and to my surprise all of Brooke and Wes' guests (approx 50 - not bad for a destination wedding) purchased a book - and to my surprise soem more than one copy and to my surprise some even expressed interest in having me come out to their organizations to be a guest speaker - slinging books the entire way (shout out to the good ol' Reverand - uhhh are you still incognito?)

Here's the poem I wrote for them:

Ballad of a Brown Girl Getting Married

I dreamt you up long before
I knew dreams could be laughed at
And in my mind I built you perfect
And I played make believe
Painted fences white
And I knew love could last forever
I knew love could last forever

Then I grew up
And met men I didn’t build
And was held back by fences that weren’t white
Left with few choices
I opted to have no boundaries
And wrote me a new reality
That said:
Love is cool but it don’t last long
And fairytales are for naïve girls who know no better
And with this I protected my heart
With this I protected my heart

And somewhere lost in these mixed up worlds
I met you
And I loved you
But you didn’t fit in with the new me
And the old me was partially buried
So I placed you on the palm of my hand
Pursed my lips
And like a dandelion wisp
I blew you away
But what you didn’t know
Was my little girl wish was for you to come back
And prove me wrong
Prove me wrong
Black men are made to love
And Brown girl dreams come true!

And you did this when my resolve was almost gone
When I began to build a chain-linked gate around my soul
You helped me tear it down
Broke me down
And it had to be a dream
It had to be a dream

So on this day I say to you
That I do
Believe in fairytales
And picket fences
And lasting forevers
And you are my perfect man
That we are in this life together
And I no longer fear my dreams
Nor care who points and laughs