ONLY BEES BUZZ IN THE MEADOW
—for Harryette Mullen
Speech a tremble,
“Why not stop?”
“Why not tremble?”
Blessings from the other birds.
Bread again.
“What is as sweet?”
Every grain of word is wheat.
“Why not stop?”
“What is as sweet?”
Bread again.
ALLEGIANCE
November 9, 2016
We knew we needed sisters.
We hoped to make them count
The way we thought our brothers did.
We craved. We yearned. We spent
Our closest words in silence,
Heard matriculture scorned,
Sucked hard the food of insult,
Forgot how we’d been born.
Today is for moss and quietness,
A path for salty hurt
From intimate directions:
Beside, behind, in front.
Walk this brilliant forest,
Hugging and bleeding. Spell
Wisdom how our wombs do.
The spiraling is real.
We never have been islands.
Our planet hangs in our balance.
Yes, they have weapons that mean
It’s time. Pledge allegiance.
