don't know when I stopped
stooping, watching, wondering
and started to feel head to head,
eye to eye, heart beside
can't say when my last
guard was gone, or when,
like toes buried deep in sand
peace began, took root
must be some certain day
I stopped turning the puzzle piece round and
round and finally slid it into place with
a satisfying click
when washing dishes at that sink,
the flamboyant tree always brilliant,
squeals underneath and calls from within--
became my sink, my tree instead of the
can't pinpoint when singing stopped
being a struggle of translation, scribbles of
pronunciation, stopped being a lesson and
started being worship
don't remember when people in my home
no longer felt a fishbowl...started feeling family
kiss on the cheek, cheek, weathered hands
weathered seasons
can't tell when crickets and dogs and
drums and flashlights became
lullabies and stars, easier still than quiet
to rest
who knows when the sights and sounds
so strange, confusing, sad
became common, lovely,
painful, Haiti
which day was it I was woven
into fabric outside my realm
'till I was home: knitted
not just the place I'm knotted
when will I stop waiting for
knock-knock, always said and never done
stop listening for the peaceful
tones of my sisters, daily fortifying grace
don't know how long it took
or when it happened, exactly
long
just know I'm not there still
just know I'm still not there
No comments:
Post a Comment