“kill box”, and: “black jesus”
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- “kill box”, and: “black jesus”
“kill box”
after jon burge
at 91st & cottage grove or viet nam sixty square mile industrial complex
high yield niggas ravenous concrete fed dark blood andrew darrell
roy melvin george donald gerald david darryl one
hundred ninety five black men and fred mark mumia our sons
the unborn electric shock when they don’t mind screams leave
few clues it’s fun time kill box of taxpayers juice another square
blackblack charged crime charred unforgiving cranked merciless hate
chicago considers all threats just don’t leave any marks
black jesus
there was no way not to see him. if entering the house from the frontdoor, he smiled at eye level, locs fading into shimmering dark. if cominginto room from interior hall the neon bulb seduced, effortlessly wooingto his soft gaze. swagger too much for you to pass. over a dirty whitecrushed velvet sofa, on which we were only allowed to sit if we hadcompany, nailed to blonde uneven paneling, my clenched fist older sisterraised black jesus to the never seen before ire of mama. blue-green shaghis vexed earth. i counted days he reigned, across living room fromdecaying red encyclopedias on the corner bookshelf and wall-lengthchina cabinet uncle john henry bought overseas. one. two. after schoolhe’s still house prophet, glow kissing lines on his silken face. three.
[End Page 475]
Quraysh Ali Lansana is the author of eight poetry books, three textbooks, a children’s book, editor of eight anthologies, and coauthor of a book of pedagogy. He is a faculty member of the creative writing program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Red Earth M.F.A. creative writing program at Oklahoma City University.
