March 14, 2022Black Boys as Fireflies
We watch the blue
Lights in the trees
An August night with
the air trapped
between God’s palms
From the front porch
Ma and I can see my brother
Swarmed with 5 cars
Guns drawn
He’s trying to get home
To us
I don’t want him to fly into the night
My brother complies with every order
Making a point to not move too fast
Or talk with the grit we’re used to
We wait
As the blue lights disappear
Into the night once again
Conjured incantation of survival magic
Is this why everyone wants to cage them?
I see fewer of them every time I go outside
The sirens
Alert the neighborhood
In warning
Don’t be who you are
when we can see you
from #74 – Winter 2021