This place of a thousand hills,
this place of thousands of lives spilled,
because someone drew lines,
measured heights and noses,
created differences no one saw,
while others tried to show
how similar we were to…
grown men’s tears
well, swell and fall
in my presence
like water beads
bubbled up by salt
sprinkled on courgette and aubergine,
bleeding out of
purple and green
bruised and battered hearts,
pushed out by love
always …
she’s been planning this day her whole life,
poured her wedding dreams
into sage green cream silk cushions,
fairy lights, hay bales,
real dried flowers in woven baskets,
hot tea and scones,
fresh cream and…
I see the graceful swing
of his smooth locs first,
stretching like fingers
down his muscled back;
easy sway of hips
strutting down the road,
working his orange high-viz
like it was amber-encrusted…
I see an old black man
walking slowly in a park
and think — YES
for you are used to forests
leaves green, bright, fresh
- no crispy edges -
and all the birds.
Lord
what…
