sad by the standard of a cloud
been 'round so long
that i forget where my
who my
how my people are.
skin cracked from bales of fibrous cotton
laughter like spit from the mouth of God
eyes keen from too much mill town
odd granddaughter begs
for back scratches &
carolina figs
odd granddaughter prepares
the old ones for documentary film
odd granddaughter done run off,
always running off...
"wait.
c'mere
you still blood girl.
how you s'pect a thang to grow
if you keep yankin' it up?"
it's my papa's voice that unveils a truth
it's my grandma's grace that sets a standard
it's my granny's hands that soothe this heart of mine
it's red clay and boiled peanuts and hoop cheese
lining the roads home.
___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________
Lavoyna
Lavoyna is a woman my granny knows
knows about the cancer
granny's got the idea
that life will waste him away
quicker than a dandelion in late spring
until God takes him on home
Lavoyna says it is a cruel kind of passage
granny prays that miles weren't the cause of it
prays that all the golden drops of love
don't fall down into our socks
drowning our toes
in worn out regret
granny holds onto fivethousandprayers
lifted and focused on a miracle
hallelujah
a miracle that fivethousandprayers
will turn every tide
she says she knows
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