In the fog &
In the night
there comes a sense
of second sight
the gift of gab to rouse the bear
and calm the mouse with gentle care
in the cave, i hibernate
& to the mouse hole i escape
in neither place do i find home
to lay my head
i am the lone
then to the treetops I retreat
unfurl my wings in nested seat
adaptation is the key
not second sight
but I have three.
GE2_21November11
Copyright 2016 GE II & Associates
strangely, at the age of three
i wondered how my life might be
if i could see the world
through other’s eyes
I call it child-sized empath-eyes.
GE2_23November11
Copyright 2016 GE II & Associates
reddened wire twisted coil
just above grease stained tin foil
baptized by fried chicken splatter
and last night's catfish batter
cornered rust on fading stove
a corner piece of quaint abode
dark shade of red metallic brown
glazed meatloaf,
croquettes,
cherried pineapple down,
What a friend in Jesus hummed
bubbled grits percussive drummed
upward outward aroma fall
olfactoric wake-up call
pancakes buttered in a stack
cheese eggs sizzle on cast-ironed
BLACK
is beautiful
charred toast good for ya teeth
finish dem collards and dem beets
cornbread, ChaCha bring da heat
taters, turkey, gravy; meal complete (then…)
turkey tetrazzini on toasted bread
turkey vegetable soup on Auntie’s sickbed
turkey sandwich for dinner; openfaced
starving kids in Africa,
swallow that turkey!
we don’t waste
round wooden table steps from the stove
formal dining right off the alcove
food for thought imbibed in either space
fearless dialogue iced with grace
when our talks were on a roll
(peach) preserved nationalistic goals
tearsshared
tempersflared
intimatelycared
imsoscared
love, money, sex a feast of therapeutic lot
timer dings
grandma brings
pound cake piping hot
thank God for that professor
from the royal city of fountains
crowned little me with dreams
while standing before mountains
anterior to sheepskin
at Emory and Princeton, too
I matriculated at her table on College Avenue
For Franceina,
GE2_5February2012
Copyright 2016 GE II & Associates
wanderings
In the terror of the night
I wake from sleep in shivered fright
I come to realize I’m not home*
Without hesitation lift the phone
To hear a voice to bring me home
Let’s me know I’m not a lone
A prayer, a word of solace there
A listening ear to offer care
A chilling one this journey is
The daimon leading to the id
then from terror into joy
calming for the frightened boy
a return to home safe from harm
into the warmth of mother’s arms
lonely still but away from there
mystical wanderings of being care
02 October 11 _ GE2
*Psalm 84:5-7
Copyright 2016 GE II & Associates