squeezing through dark wombs plump with middle passage memories and roaming bones
inched myself along stretch marks that traveled up necks into mouths where tongues had been cut
resting on eyes that searched stars and scriptures for God’s indication that Black and Womyn was what he intended
was caressed by voudou hands that bathed me in dirt and Yoruba’s kiss
holding Mammy’s hands, all ten fingers soiled with Aunt Jemima’s tears and no good hopes
saw Mammy’s breasts sag in a painful winch onto the white woman’s floors
riding the toes of feet attached to protesting bodies sprayed with water hoses
knowing water was not the enemy for they waded in it way before the 60s when the moon was almost New
these toes clinged to the soil amidst dead things and rumors that the Earth was not theirs
rolling in afros and giggling at how the raised fists mock red sunflowers in full bloom
but ain’t neva dance to no belly scratching laugh cuz they told us Black Power was a Man Thang
swimming through both
blood whitened with crack and loose minds that oozed Reagan and welfare and deffered dreams
breathed all single mama fears and femme blues into the Night’s hands
watching the lacerations on lesbians and tears into transgender flesh move like old winds under ready lavender sprigs
sucking the stench of erasure, the leaves whispered before softening in their purple between tired lips
i have come to this body
have come to this body
come to this body
to this body
this body
body
body body body body bodybodybodyb
and ain’t no shame coloring this body
cuz this is what our mama and her mama and her mama and her mama and her mama left us
and ain’t it radical and ain’t it Black and don’t it move like spring time
and ain’t it Black and ain’t it wide and ain’t it deep and ain’t it divine
