18 - Free Verse
* I'm having formatting issues. Any lines separated by a _____ should be read as one line.
Fissures
"Hey My Beautiful"
Shouting at me across the street then trampling over
Shouting at me across the street then trampling over
his warm hand grabs mine - huge
black
warm but crackedand rough like the skin of an elephant i think
not that it's what I want to think but it's all I can think
as
yellow-eyed
chapped lipped
he won't let go of my hand
and
"My Beautiful
affected I hate to
African
bother
accent
you"
he won't let go of my hand just yet
eyes yellow
teeth ivory
and I'm a child again sticking my arm through the bars of the _____elephant cage running my fingers through the fissures of its _____skinHe lets go of me
but
in his yellowest eyes
in his whitest smile
I forget how to walk in heels
and he thrusts at me
a mess of papers stained with coffee
"I came all the way from Africa"
"I came all the way from Africa"
and barbecue sauce and blood
"My village needs your help"
crumpled in his damaged hands
crumpled in his damaged hands
not listening i hold my breath watching
his tics and his stammers
and his wild yellow eyes
the brown flesh folding over his neck and my fingers tracing _____fissures in the elephant's skin
shuddering
"AIDS"
a tooth-marked pen in my hand and I'm signing my name
while the othershaking hand in purse fingers crisp twenty dollar bill
and his nostrils flare
and he kisses the money
and his lips are full
cracked and rough
"You are blessed"
and it disappears in his fissured hands
Backwards walking into the multitude he declares,
"God bless you My Beautiful Princess
God bless you My Beautiful Queen"
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