21
for Leshenna Moss
i.
see you again
see you so seldom
always heaven when I do
angry around the edges
unaware that you are
angry face you'd wear
mask you wear
once we were together
here in this cafe
remember our pledge that day
to be together on your birthday
rainy-Saturday-past
you at work, I at a poetry reading
we apart
our promise never kept
had to seek you out today
gift to surprise you with
you on your new job,
laboring away again
into the kitchen, out front again
orders to place, orders to serve
cooler to stock, beverages in bottles
to cool, these to count and to record
required to take stock
I awaited- awaiting my moment
to break in, to be with you
for a word or two, for a while or less
eager to connect and when I did,
divine
it always is when we make contact
or it usually is
cross with you usually
giving way to what delicious words
ii.
hug her 'til she holler, "Ow!"
cause her to cry out, to cry, "Ow!"
hold her close to me, hard and long
until she scream out, scream, "Ow!"
hug, a pleasure- hug of pleasure
hug her as well to punish her
for the times we should have
been together and instead were apart
squeeze her for the times
I've been unable to reach her
when I expected to hear from her and didn't
squeeze her for all the e-mailed messages
sent to her that have not or have not yet
been answered
she with her cell phone
in her tight jeans pocket
or in her work pants pocket or in her fist
envy the persons who have her phone number
able to call her up, able to locate her
when I cannot
feel excluded also
when her earplugs are plugged in
when her iPod is running
when her music's turned on
when she shuts the world out
to listen to her music
I'm shut out too, shut up, shut off
when she snaps out, snaps into
the groove she gets into
when her iPod's running
when her earplugs are plugged in
at times, she and I are plugged in
have been plugged in to each other
how heavenly it is then
how heavenly it can be
long always for times like those
for times like these
had to squeeze her while I was able to
squeeze in- squeeze out
what is impossible to squeeze out, "Ow"
I'd like to make her holler
for so many reasons, in so many ways
I'd like our physical close-closeness
to be so very long sustaining
instead of fleeting
instead of hello and goodbye
with nothing in between
our being brought together
and our being pulled apart
she with her niece, at home
her sister's daughter, to get to, to watch
déménager, word in French for moving
another reason why
she had to be on her way
when I wanted her to stay
to linger here with me
until 7 p.m.
until Starbucks closes
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
Written between 4:40 p.m. and 5:39 p.m.
on Monday, September 26, 2011
Boat Trip
I gatta hang over the boat rail
over the side of the boat
gatta t'row up my guts
I gat a hang over
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
1:39 p.m. 15.10.11
With What Ability to Satisfy
i.
she is no one- no woman
from Holy Cross Church
middle class and stuck up and up tight
she is a miracle on earth
pulling down her white, short dress
riding up while she dances
while she gyrates divinely
pulling it up in front to tease
for 1 split-second, to show her pretty panties
woman who could shake like that, I want
woman like that, like her
could keep me satisfied
for the rest of my days
wonder what she'd look like
with her short, white dress off
with her panties off
with her bra or bikini top off as well
skinny woman, fleshy hips
from heaven, able to roll her body
able to make her belly-
able to make her bottom roll
video of her on YouTube
watching it for about 6 hours
no desire to switch to any other
sleepy as I am
up all night, all morning
unable to leave her and go to bed
in my heart, my head
and in my blood
want her inside me, part of me
forever more
added to the girls I love
to those I know in the flesh
her to address, to undress
wish I had her address
wish to God to get to know her
to be able to connect
to add her to the awesome women
in my life actually
not enough to have her on YouTube
her back to me, gyrating
like not too many people can
like not too many women I know
would if they could
especially not church woman
with a dray-load of hang-ups
wish I had her to hang out with
tired of women with hang-ups
to hang with,
to live with without really living
want to go to heaven and to hell
with this angelic someone
with this divine sister of mine
ii.
pulls her white, mini dress
down around the flesh of her hips
to enable who is watching
to taste the sweet peach of her hips
I want to bite into it
where juices run, I want to follow
let none waste
she is too sweet to let drip
and drop upon the ground
too sweet to let get away
what a day, stumbled upon her
and I'm up still
half-past 1 in the afternoon
staying up until the sun comes up
already stretching it
met her on the Internet
and I'm stretched more
what has she done to my heart
with her hips
how she moves them
twists and winds them
simultaneously, I am wound
about her finger
she winds me about her finger
wish it were possible for her to know
what a victim I am of her art
my own art to hit back with
but how and where and when
like boxers in a boxing match
in a boxing ring, could I strike back
with poem I've written of her
with poem her dancing-
her outfit inspired this Saturday,
fifteenth day of October,
on New Providence, here on earth
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
Written between 10:25 a.m. and 1:33 p.m.
on Saturday, October 15, 2011
Flames
for A.G.M.W.
pull out
pull off
put on your sex-pot
turn the burner up beneath it
let it boil
let it cook
let it burn
burn me with your sex-pot
even the handle of it
too hot to touch
too hot to clutch
too hot to handle
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
3:01 p.m. 05.10.11
After 38 Years
for Priscilla Rollins
Independence morning
is like giving birth, like cutting teeth
like finding feet
no longer will we have to creep
we can walk, we will run, we will fly soon
we might even have to cry soon
but we will shake and drink
the joy with the pain
grown up now, flag of our own
being hoisted now, we're a nation now
add ours- add us
to the other 189 nations of the world
we have a voice now, a say now
a place in this world now
Independence morning,
is like giving birth, like cutting teeth
what a variety of foods we can eat
sitting at the table
with the biggest and the oldest
with the richest and the poorest
nations of the world
make this planet a better planet
make this world a better world
Independence morning
dawn of a day
history nor anyone has ever seen
we can send athletes to Olympics
we can send rockets to the moon
Independence morning
some assume it is arriving late
it is late arriving, but it is arriving
not a moment too soon
did not come in May
did not come in June
Independence morning
dawn is on our doorsteps, knocking
is in our bedrooms, shaking us
waking us, urging us to wake up
Independence morning
168,812 Bahamians
all at once being born
are being liberated
citizens of a new nation
citizens of a new world
Independence morning
a new flag, a new whirl
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
2:27 p.m. 10.09.11
Other Side
of A Smile
for I.D.
enough for that
I never knew-
I never imagined existed
enough to make me
as enormous
as any woman can
that I assure you
was a terrible surprise
a wonderful surprise
to be in bed
calling out your name
to be as enormous as that
is what I marveled at
fascinated by it still
that enterprise, that exercise
and I almost missed the bank
2 banks in town to catch
had to walk to one near by instead
it closed at 3
on the bus, on my way
to the one that closes at 4
memories of you
thoughts of you
of time in bed
divine visitation
enough to make me go there
do that, feel what I did
holler like I did
that you could
impact me like that
I hadn't a clue
I did not know
that you loved me
that I loved you
skinny girl
big pretty eyes
able to happen to me
able to happen through me
phenomenal woman
when did you arrive
upon the doorstep
of adulthood
when did you grow
out of uniform
happy that your skin fits
happy with the fit of your skin
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
3:32 p.m. 03.10.11
Broom Street Boy
[for Marco Archer]
death as sweet as candy
calling out to him
had to go out to meet it
money from mommy
change from Baygon
he was sent out to purchase
required, requested
need to go out again to death, to die
too sweet not to meet
why else would he have run out to meet it
to fling himself into arms, into hands
as dirty - as rough as the grave
why he did not run the other way, a mystery
why he did not know better
than to run towards it, towards death
its arms outstretched like a parent
or grandparent
like grand-papa or grand-mama
why did he run in response to such a call
into such arms, outstretched to crush him
squeeze his life out, out his lights
gone for candy, would not return
would not be seen again, alive
his mother regretting, will always regret
rewarding him with change from Baygon
he needed, wanted, waited,
saved it to ask for to go buy candy
© Obediah Michael Smith, 2011
4:29 p.m. 29.09.11
