December 02 2021
I fear the day you will not forgive me.
I made scars out of love.
I carved his name into you &
Let him have his way with you.
Let him have the best of you.
I have paralyzed you.
I have silenced you in a room full
Of men who crucified you.
A room full of men whose eyes sexually impaled you.
I steadied you like a samurai after a holy death.
I have medicated you, but Black Sugar Rose
Can’t keep you moving fast enough.
Dr. Ericka tells you your fixation on the
Afterlife is unhealthy. She tells you cancer may
Appear if you don’t stop letting Djarum splash into your
Lungs and Jose set up camp in your liver.
You don’t tell her Jose spends the night because
Happiness is a commodity. A lottery. It's written in
The stars for anyone who can read.
There will never be enough for everyone.
-An Apology to My Body that May be Too Late
October 01 2021
She had the biggest bedroom with a
Dream Cast, Nintendo and PlayStation, but
Made me wash her clothes for Monopoly money.
She is my sister, is all I could say.
It started with a zig zag braid pattern straight back.
My mother yelled "you look like a boy" and forced her
Fingers into her greased scalp until the zig zags were gone.
Her preference to boxers over thongs flung my mother into a panic.
Her fist and barrels and keys and mugs violently kissed my sister,
Left her café cheeks a black Tahj Mahal. I offered her my last
Starburst when it was over, but she refused and snuck out the
Back door. My mother saw her and locked it. It was seven
Christmases Before I saw my sister again and when I did, she was he.
October 06 2021
In the beginning,
She created the Heavens,
The Earths and the Seas.
Unrefined Coconut oil
Raw Shea butter by the pound
Blue Black Purple Honey.
Today I met God,
Her hair defies gravity,
Skin absorbs X-Rays
Today I met God,
Her afro was the sun,
Her shining halo.
Is Black Boy Joy giving.
Is Eve Gene carrying,
This is Black Girl Magic.
Today I met God,
Finger and neck rolling,
And unforgiving.
HER-icane storming
From West Africa
To the southern states.
She has not forgot
The path of her ancestors
And travels it again.
This time with vengeance
For those who broke her spirit
She's coming. Silence.
December 02 2021
You are eagle rare in my veins.
Artois on my tongue.
Don Draper on my TV screen.
You are the reason I drink long island from mason jars, why I
Skip breakfast and throw out all the earl grey tea and why I
No longer drink Michigan strawberry from Water Street.
Now its wild berry black organic tea while sitting in that
Mississippi Tee writing in a notebook that reads god grant me the serenity.
I think it happened in a week.
I was drinking too much red wine and not enough popcorn.
I was pouring Andre in my orange juice.
I was dancing to Joy Division.
I was buy Brokers and Seagrams and Knickerbockers and Bombay and Tanqueray so that one day
I could make you the perfect martini.
Then I was dating. Not really dating, it was more like recreating with
Michael because he had your black glasses and
Jacob wore your skinny ties and
Justin went to MSU like you and
Rob had wavy brown hair too.
What’s the word for only dating guys who look like you?
January 15 2022
Basilicas, Rome: That ancient city interests me.
Before Saint Ignatius of Antioch, mother lost all her satisfaction.
Baptistry of Easter Vigil filled the ambo and the baptistry st. Ignatius reflection I found to be eloquent – not original.
Relics of tombs were eradicated by florals.
Meditation building instructive faith. Lifetime's of architecture are beautiful examples of echoed sacraments. Buildings are a strong understanding of Holiness.
Open our eyes. We visit realities like snow melting lace patterns onto the grass