PASS THE WORD

IF YOU TRY AND MAKE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN YOU AND MY MOTHER

WE SHALL EMBARK UP ON

A SILENT WAR

SLOWLY I WILL BEGIN TO NEGATE YOUR PRESENCE

MORE AND MORE I WILL BEGIN TO SPEAK LESS.

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND I'M NOT INHERENTLY NASTY

BUT I ASSURE YOU, YOU WILL ALWAYS LOSE.

A TRANSGRESSION IS A TRANSGRESSION

THE DAMAGE IS SET FORTH WITH THE CHALLENGE

AND I WILL TAKE YOU ON

I WILL TOSS DIRECTLY IN YOUR FACE

THE MOST PERFECT EMOTION OF INDIFFERENCE

I WILL SHOCK YOU WITH MY ABILITY TO RESIST YOUR

FORGIVENESS

I WILL WALK PAST YOUR DOOR, STARE YOU IN THE FACE AND SEE NOTHING.

I WILL PRINT GESTURES ON MY FACE THAT CAUSE YOUR MOUTH TO FALL OPEN REPEATEDLY..... AND JUST IN CASE YOU DID NOT GET THE WORD

I WILL SEND YOU A LETTER IN RED.

Poems с 1980 Nedra Williams

4

Photo by Joan Franklin

SONGS of the HUM- MINGBIRD

gyrating thighs

against a shimmer of delight the covers twist endlessly to fit our emotions

oil smooth stones

slip between the crests edge while,

the plateau of our cry pulls the horizon into

a relationship with the stars

no words spoken

only striking monologues of flesh and feelings flesh hot with thought and immersion

we cant homonymes

to the songs of the humming- bird

and listen to the rustle of the trees

we leave the bed unmade to air our feelings