He My L’il Brown Nugget Head
He Mine
I Love ‘im ’till de Day
I Die
He Die b’fo Me
I Love de Memory
I Love ‘im
’till I Die
He Mines
He Mines
He My L’il Brown Nugget Head
I placed My Bejewelled Left Arm
upon the cushion of My Sofa
The Left Hand of Which
became My Grandmother’s–
The Hand My Mother Saw
in a tree
The Night My Grandmother Died
It was a lawn I mowed
in a peach bikini
when I was sixteen
now covered over with blackberry brambles
thigh high
up to the open front door
no longer entered
–
It was My Grandparents’ summer house
yellow & white
with yellow & orange roses climbing
with nasturtiums on the entry deck
vegetable garden by the sea
where parsley grew
& where My Grandmother sent Me
to pick a few sprigs for Our Supper
on The Sun Porch
2 days ago
I dreamt of My Daughter
age 4
in a Red Velvet Dress
running across a field
to Me
laughing
I called out to a nearby friend
“I Made Her
including untidy & rude–”
Scooped Up My Beloved Child
& Kissed Her Red Left Cheek
–
Today I Hand Wash
Her Teenage Underwear
I Straighten Out Her Thongs
Hang Up Her Red Bra
On The Laundry Rack
To Dry In The Sun
