African Voices Spring 2020 AVSPRING2020 | Page 29

when the ground stands up breaks away in revolt for her safety’s sake ‘gainst inextricable anger forced into her soil what kinds of movements will replace the measure of her phe nominal tempo bejeweled in divine she mothers nations yet her bearing is demeaned the yield of her seeds transformed to bitter fruit brittle / mutant / strangers who no longer sing nor esteem her name “mother,” sister,” “lover,” “teacher,” “friend” ‘cause some of you have changed it to “skeezer” / “slut” / “bitch” and “whore” while some of you have walled yourselves away in peculiar silence once she slipped a sliver of a singular samba between her thighs and with it folded time into aromatic love notes for you but some of you denied the rhythm and would not recognize her music she sowed you sachet’d secrets embroidered them with your name moved in perfect unison with moon-tide magic and perfect sunrise just for you yet some of you refused to embrace the healing of her sun some of you ignored the fragrance of her love   african Voices 29