#catwoman
She was known as Eartha Mae born in the small town of North in the The Palmetto State
Her childhood was even a mystery that she wished to forget from suffering abuse and neglect all because of her skin color - a light pale complexion - commonly referred as "yella"
She was of fair complexion due to the racial mix of African-American, European, and Cherokee Native American descent
Eartha was poorly treated and abandoned by others till she was saved by a Good Samaritan and taken to New York
Nurtured and raised into the Big Apple flair, she flourished and sprouted like flowers from the Earth
Charismatic and mysterious, she was like her name - spiritual and intuitive, she had a deep connection to the Great Mother (Earth)
The elements on Earth resided within her
Earth is the body, Water set in blood, Air is in the breath, and Fire ruled a free spirit
As a dancer with the legendary teacher, Katherine Dunham, who motivated the shy young girl to blossom and shine
She learned new languages and traveled to far and wide exotic places soaking up foreign cultures and faces
She was always searching for love and acceptance and enjoyed it though short and brief until she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that she affectionately named Kitt
Eartha's life was now complete now that she had her child - someone to cherish and love
Both were different as night and day but their love ran deeper and stronger than skin - everyone noticed the powerful bond that couldn't be severed
Eartha had a subtle sensuality with a rich silky velvet speaking voice that turned vibrant, versatile, and passionate whenever she sang
A commanding powerful stage presence with a royal and noble aura - she possessed the carriage of a divinely queen
Outspoken and bold, she was not afraid to tell the truth - it nearly cost her career and left her exiled out of America until her triumphant return to Broadway in 1978, when she performed in the play, Timbuktu!
Her career was resurrected and skyrocketed once more and led her to many more places and open doors bringing fans from old generations and new, the queen had returned and was living life rich and fully
A strong social activist, she fought racism and injustice bringing unity and peace in numerous subtle ways from dance to social causes, she was admired and loved for being different and a vocal advocate for the outcast and rejected
On Christmas Day 2008, she left the world behind with Kitt by her side
Although she's gone, she will never be forgotten - her legacy lives on in her music and lives she touched
Farewell, Eartha Kitt
Feb 18, 2017
Feb 18, 2017 at 10:55 AM UTC
2 years ago I wrote a poem about Cat Woman
2 years from then it still hurts to think about.
You see,
2 seconds
turned to 2 minutes
turned to 2 hours
turned to 2 days
turned to 2 months
and now it’s turned to 2 years.
They say it gets better
when you lose a loved one.
They say you can get over it.
How is that true though,
when on her birthday I can’t help but cry?
When on the anniversary I work with tears in my eyes
avoiding looks from my coworkers
just to keep my pain hidden inside?
Even just days like my birthday I think of her.
2 years will turn into 4 years
to 6 to 8 to 10 years and things will never change.
I listened to my grandmothers breathing
Cat Woman playing on the tv in the background
her breathing slowing.
On days like today I think of her
and I sit here
and I write this poem with tears in my eyes.
and it hurts so much when she’s on my mind.
I miss her everyday
and while there are days it is easier
There are also days where it’s difficult just to get out of my bed
get up without crying and hold myself together.
It still hurts to think about
Cat Woman from 2 years ago.
Jan 20, 2016
Jan 20, 2016 at 10:37 PM UTC
Your name has meaning not to me
for I want the bat and not some trick
you use to hide your nightly guise,
the one I’ve come to
idolize
There’s many reasons you and I
have chased the cats and not the mice:
the rats have trouble keeping up,
the cats will scratch you but with
love
I don’t seek the face behind the mask
for I want layers upon layers—
upon dusk
to hide a face that might prove
you’re just a man and I’m a
fool
May 9, 2014
May 9, 2014 at 10:52 AM UTC