In the Bronx/We had roses/sturdy strong covered in velvet blooms/we had a vegetable garden with proud beefsteak tomatoes in God’s own shapes/We had clouds in our lazy patch of sky drifting overhead in dragon and angel guise/ and we had ruthless relentless starlight/ even on the darkest nights when only fireflies ruled the sky

Afraid/looking out/lurking/it is true/I am nothing but embodied fear/but the one I swim with made the water

Afraid/nothing but embodied fear/but the one we swim with/made the water

Rachel weeps
Inconsolable

What if your bright beauties were slain
Gone
So many
In the classroom
In the lunch room
Never cramming for tests
Never breathing on your chest
In your arms
Again
The world doesn’t stop
The world continues on
And little cares
As we stand at the grave
Of all hope
And sing

One bright day
Merry around the square block
The happy brown dog and girl went
At the top of their street
The leash slipped
The brown streak
Slashed crimson
Blue steel squealed
On a perfect sunny street
In slow motion help poured
From every door
Like the open gush of the hydrant
Mothers apron cradled the head and pressed the dear gashed belly
All askew on the asphalt
Fathers brown hands so gently lifted
I still taste my tears
Remember the whole street turning out
And sadly grieving
Such a sweet
dog
And I still taste tears as
I wonder past the years
Where our sorrow and care
Gushes forth
for our sweet young men?

Filters of Blinding Love
The light filtered in
He looked up and away
I wish you would move to Paris
Pass for white
Forget about your father
The light filtered in
She narrowed her hazel eyes
If I knew you would be black
Choose black
I wouldn’t have had you
The light filtered in
Full of fear and love
Choices that never end
The light filters in as we forgive and hope to be forgiven
As we love
And hope to be loved.

Edges

I don’t like edges
One round edge broke my toddler
Fascination with shine
Transparently
sharp
I bear the minute
Scar
Of the edge on my brow
With deep respect
feel through life sifting for edges
a superpower
I’d rather not have
See too much
Feel too much
Until we gather
And seek the divine
The force of unquenchable courage
Yes
There
The edge
I’ll dangle my legs
And laugh

Jacaranda walking
Ancient seeds remember
Mother faith
In children’s dream
Unwind their lovely thread
To knit our new garments