per-pandemic commutes
tune out the noise.
crowded anxiety inducing commute
weight of book too much
my tired hands eyes defiant
read blurred texti’m not ready for progressives
my eye doctor sells me on some revolutionary
lenses designed with a subtle
power shift should ease
the strain from reading screensproving prescient now
Zoom is a verb virtual
cocktails the norm colleagues’ kids
(and racists) zoom bomb meetingsscreen fatigue is real and capitalism sure knows how to
capitalizei miss:
the pleasantries with the one who knew my name
the one who would beam extra
the one who would remind me to visit home one day
the one who remembered a kindness i forgot
as she clasped and held my hands on her way
to her graveyard shifteven the crowded anxiety inducing commute
filled with conversations at times unwelcomedcompliments on my red-framed glasses
Write About these Black Bodies Again
we share skin and consequences
here i am on again about these Black people
another indignation caught
on camera proof
and not enoughanyway
i want to write about the birds trilling
outside the kitchen window i imagine
an argument spirited discussion
amongst sparrows a bright yellow
bird i saw dip
fly around the blackberry bushhow the smell of spring grass tickles my nose
i want to write about the things i don’t have
time to observe write about
other than
Black deathsfragrances
remind me of easier times when
i could roll carefree in thick fresh cut green
grass stubby blades pricking my back
as the blue sky spun out thick wool clouds
trees whispered and swayed in time to their lullabies
carried on hot prairie wind dust and wheat
acrid asphaltpetrichor
electric air swollen purple orange skies
hairs on end at attention high alert
drum rolling thunder wait weight
heavinessstay away from windows
unplug appliances
turn off the lightsafter the fat drops land on baked
sidewalks and the percussive light show ends
go dance wild abandon
while silver droplets ornament thick braids
sluice skin
breathe
