They
are annoying
They
make the perfect food
They
sting when I steal honey
They
build the perfect dwelling places
They
buzz me when I take their beeswax
They
break the laws of aerodynamics
They
are natural born criminals
They
should not be lauded
They
are Yellow
They
are Black
They
—
Elijah Pringle III is a Philadelphia-born multidisciplinary artist whose work spans radio, television, stage, and film. Deeply connected to spoken word traditions, he brings a rich background as a dancer, choreographer, actor, director, and vocalist. Formerly a host of “Who Do You Love?”, a talk show on PhillyCAM, he currently serves as an advisor for Moonstone Arts Center. His poetry has been featured in various anthologies including Black Fire―This Time (Aquarius Press/Willow Books, 2024) and Moonstone Arts Center’s 25th Poetry Ink Anthology (Moonstone Press, 2021), as well as Compagnia de’ Colombari’s touring hybrid project Whitman on Walls! (WoW!) where local poets and musicians respond to Walt Whitman’s work. Elijah draws inspiration from his failures and credits his true education to five generations of teachers, whose wisdom continues to shape his voice and vision.
