clock’s been locked
in that position for years
thought about rewinding it again
but it always stops at the same spot
like the history of racial freedom
this ain’t no permanent relationship it’s more of a fling with an itinerant lover shaping sounds into passion causing breaths to be held and hearts to pound with desire fulfilling fantasies without touching the perfect affair
wide-eyed optimist carrying bible from one high school class to the next reading the text in study hall even believing that freedom was obtainable along with unobstructed success if one only puts forth honest hard efforts but now i’m a self-defined survivor all grown up with a greater sense of my own history and its stages of delusion and foolish trust so now i’m drained of milk and honey and filled with the liquid steel of reality and truth what about you
stumbles on broken sidewalk heart pacer kicks in unable to rise moment of hope sees young family they stare away walk around her on the street good parents teaching child not to speak to strangers bruised struggles to find her new iphone tells husband morning walk has gone awry
