Breathing Away the Darkness
At night, lights appear, unseen amongst
daytimes dominating sun.
Scattered bits of moon peering curiously
through window slats.
The warmth of some adjoining room
creeping...
The divorce.
The final chapter of
our union
tells of bone deep chagrin-
the dumb utter of
'I feel statements'
plays itself like a mantra,
useless invocations found
in the crumpled leaflets
from...
Dog Pack
The dog loves the woman.
I
think of Thumper (dumbass name)
named
by dumbass couple, Bedford, NY.
She
didn’t need no lousy name.
I don’t need a word, she...
Trick of Rings and Things“The Lord
is my Ringmaster, I’ll always want!”
Said
Gollum
A fiend
For the
ring
Crack ho’
Of his time
What is the meaning of the ring?
Love is
an
overrated
misunderstood
thing
Precious
metal
surrounding
the
space
waiting
for
something
to
occupy...
I Am
I
am like the Phoenix in mystical mythology regenerating energy amongst the
ashes, strengthening my wings over shadows cast by yesterday’s doubts for
today……………
I am the...
Pas de Deux
In our choreography, Dad and I
had three types of dance:
the shower, the stairs, and the car.
The shower’s dance was a slow kabuki-
like...
Minute shards of glass
settle upon the bar counter
like finely milled powder
The barkeep smiles at no one in particular
as if born an automaton
No warmth offered...
Doors locked, we hide the keys
Jeans frayed across the knees
On our backs beneath the stars
Basking in an autumn breeze
She spies Polaris, points out Mars
They’re...
Witness Tree
Does it hurt standing there
unable to do anything but watch?
How long does it take
for soil to stop tasting
like blood?
A decade?
A century?
We all hold...
These poems are part of a special section of the Mid-Atlantic Review, Celebrating Black History, and selected by editors Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Carolivia Herron, and...