Mr. Africa Poetry Lounge!
If he let us go now
let me strap
the baby in the seat, just don't say
nothin all that while ...
I move round to
the driver side of the car. The air
warm and dry here. Lawd know what it be
in L. A. He open the door for me
and I slide behind the wheel. Baby
facin me lookin without even
blinkin his eye. I wonder if he
know I'm his mamma that I love him
that that his daddy by the door (and
he won't let us go; he still got time
to say wait. Baby blink once but
he only five week old and whatever
he know don't show.
His daddy call
my name and I turn to him and wait.
It be cold in the Grapevine at night
this time of year. Wind come whistlin down
through them mountains almost blow this old
VW off the road. I'll be in
touch he say. Say, take care; say, write if
you need somethin.
I will him to touch
us now, to take care us, to know what
we need is him and his name. He slap
the car door, say, drive careful and turn
to go. If he let us go now ... how
we gon ever take him back? I ease
out on the clutch, mash in on the gas.
The only answer I get is his back.
Written by Sherley Anne Williams (1944-1999)
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