I will walk into the belly of the valley for you, Grandmother Shoulders heavy with your silent tears Legs inked in red To simulate the blood that constantly streamed down your legs From rips From tears From him placing his too big and too familiar hands down there I will march into the mountains, Momma Still clinging to the dress Granny made her babe Now dingy as your skin, once yellow gold Now stained deep down within I will fling the dress you wrapped your sin in When the confession box became too full When the preacher preached around your pain Cause de Lawd’s pain was a pain heathens never knew They turned a blind eye to the crucifix you bore Gossip curled around your head like a crown of thorns On to the cross you went Not no more, Momma I buried that dress into the mountains’ caverns and crevices I will moan in the wilderness for myself Weep, wail, holler Bringing down a sandstorm avalanche I will kick the dust off the petals of the only flower that grows in this desert Dance for forgiving rain Shout all of our names When the wetness comes to refresh I will bury it all in the earth But I will not keep these secrets to myself I will tell my daughter, Momma I will show my Granddaughters, Grandmother They will sing a new hymn They will sing a painless, moanless song Then they will dance They will dance And never walk through the wilderness And never set foot into the belly of the the valley They will dance for sweet rain in the desert A soft rain named for me They will know their ancestors spoke to the earth Shook the ground And kissed the sky So they could dance freely, Innocent and wild - Ninah Iam
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 04:11:13 +0000
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