Dwayne Lawson-Brown, aka the Crochet Kingpin, is co-host of Spit Dat, the longest running open mic in Washington, D.C. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., they have performed and hosted at The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Keegan Theater, The Strathmore, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and others.
In the poem below, Lawson-Brown pays tribute to their son, who, over the course of the poem, grows older. “We often mourn youth, but when writing this poem, I had a chance to reflect on the gift of ‘this’ time. I get to be an adult with a growing son. I get to enjoy who he has become and who he is becoming. There is a simple joy in being present for the present,” they say.
This poem appears in Breaking the Blank, co-authored with Rebecca Bishophall, published by Day Eight in November 2022.
For the Growing Boy
When you were younger
You would sleep on my chest
I’d watch you rise and fall with each exhale
A reason for breathing
As you grew
You’d reach for my controller
Become player 2
Dream of making your own games
I pray we never outgrow our time
You grip the guitar neck
Like the world owes you your shot
It does
I will block anyone tending your goals
A father is proud of his son today
Everyday
E to A
Failure and success
You are my light
You are your own light
Keep shining.
