The Jordan River/

Chilly and Cold/

Chills the body/

But not the soul/

Our children frightened/

They face consequences/

three strikes you’re out/

yet have to tolerate swallow bow and scrape around/

hatred nullification being cursed and scandalized/

sexualized put down/

locked up/

they are frightened/

stunned/

in danger of abandoning their dreams/

depressed in despair/

while other children get free passes for brutal behavior/

grown people threaten my child’s life for being/

let’s face it/

uppity/

and what can we say/

say love/

say truth/

call somebody’s child/

hold them in prayer/

time for the care packages to be/

filled with action/

not mumbling incoherent impotent/

when our ancestor’s sang/

it was a road map to freedom/

not a panacea a paean to inaction/

Jordan River/

Chilly and Cold

Children/

chill the body/

not the soul/

I forget sometimes/
that alongside achingly hard work/
there is beauty/
then I remember stories of my grandmother/
we never met/
except perhaps in the ether/
before and after/
life/
but still/
she taught me strength/
and still/
she teaches/
beauty

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