Lil Kim Cento

Lil' Kim is vile--there is no doubt about it. For some reason, though--I've been enjoying her music tremendously for the past week or so. I've been in a strange mood. Possibly feeling a little vile myself...An explanation of this poetic form follows the poem.

written after being mixed in with Bacardi Dark (yuck)

she's been a lot of places
seen a lot of faces
the baddest chick
flip you quick

like money in the bank
loan you out
if you're not straight
comb you out

the junk in her trunk
not made for chumps
this Barbie, dressed in Bulgari
always tries to leave in someone's Ferrari

pop the cork
roll up the hash
we know what she's about
sex, drugs and cash

all wrong, all right
all good,not tragic
find her tonight
she'll show you maa-aagic

*Centos, according to Stephen Fry, are cannibalized verse, collage poems whose individual lines are made up of fragments of other poetry. Often each line will be from the same poet. In mine above, all the lines are culled from different songs by Lil' Kim. Centos are a revealing kind of poem--meant to be comical, but also providing a productive way of getting to know a particular poet's way with phrase and form.

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Anne Sexton Cento