Voices

acknowledgments
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the editors of of the following journals in which these poems appeared:
Chautauqua Literary journal: “afterblues,” “aunt jemima,” “cream of wheat,” “faith,” “in amira’s room,” “uncle ben”;
Poetry: “sorrows.”

the dead do dream

this is what i know
some womens days
are spooned out
in the kitchen of their lives
this is why i know
the gods
are men
▪

for want of tenderness

but who can distinguish
one human voice
amid such choruses
of desire

that they would attach themselves
as scars attach and ride the skin

lu 1942
what i know is
this is called gravel
you must not eat it
you must not throw it

and redmen everywhere
woke and braided

his curling brown hair
as his enchanted horse

who woke with him
prepared
whispering
Hoka Hay brother
it is a good day
to die