Residue Oscar barkedand barked and barkedso that at 2:22amI was up cursing as Ilet him outside The night was sliced I curled up bed waitingfor him to summon me againhe did I let him in thenknelt before himhis mid-night servantcleaning his pawsdirty with the sandystardust in the yard Back in bed slightly deliriousgrit between my… Continue reading Poem 60 – Residue
Tag: Poetry
Poem 55 – Audre
Audre for Audre Lorde Audre lives in the volcanic intersections of race | sex | class | phobia I know who I am [exclamation mark]I said, I know how I am [exclamation mark] [voice loud]I am a black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet [exclamation mark] [foot stomp][hand on hip] Who are you I said, who are you… Continue reading Poem 55 – Audre
Poem 51 – Movement
“Social movement doesn’t come all at once, just as it doesn’t come out of nowhere. There are moments when it captures the news, like the National Guard in Little Rock, and then we don’t hear anything about it nationally for a year, two years, three years, four years, five years – and then wham!” pg.… Continue reading Poem 51 – Movement
Poem 49 – The Poet for Phillis Wheatley Peters
The PoetFor Phillis Wheatley Peters age sevenseized in Senegalsentenced to slaveryone tender body ina shipment of shame under a robe of dirty rugslender child nearly nakedsuffering the vived changein climate and freedom –shivers the ship captain in hasteher frailty no reason tostutter sells her tothe Bostonian Wheatly whites before dusting but after dishes –reading and… Continue reading Poem 49 – The Poet for Phillis Wheatley Peters
VANESSA SHIELDS 