Teesta Review: A
Journal of Poetry, Volume 4, Number 1. May 2021. ISSN: 2581-7094
“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to keep all things I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Black and white evidence
one staged moment
a memory framed
revealed in increments
not altered or deleted
a block chain of events
We travel back
a man washed of his sins
in the Jordan River
inspires this ritual
bestow a name upon a
child
and proclaim o
thoulos tou theou
a slave to God
Burning candles
illuminate
gold leaf glitters
the haze of frankincense
I am immersed three
times
into a pool of water
cleansed of sins I have
yet to commit
hair snipped by a
bearded man
crucifix pinned to my
lapel
smoke fills the Narthex
I cry tears of
resentment
grip onto the mother who
has betrayed my trust
an umbilical cord still
tied around my neck
and love her more.
#blm
(Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.)
You wipe crumbs from
your mouth
fold the starched napkin
place it on the lime
Formica table
legs crossed polyester
cool against your thigh
you feel the smooth gold
band on your finger
make a mental note to
ring her
blood soaked and
charcoal grey
this suit a canvas for
your passion
Montgomery Albany Birmingham
Washington
a childhood in Atlanta
the giant oak shields
you
Daddy’s whip short and
thick
read scripture and
always forgive
a verse plays in your
head
Nina Simone in sombre
tones
strange fruit hanging
from the poplar trees
you see hollow eyes hear
children’s cries
rain starts to stain the
glass window
the wind moans and
whistles
beckons you to face the
storm
you remain silent
a monogrammed
handkerchief
the scent of sweet
magnolia