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  • a psalm in which i demand a new name for my kindred
  • Aurielle Marie

after Danez Smith

you caught a bitch in her early nude, paperthin psalms sharpened into blades on her mother'slawn, what a mess and you loved her fiercelynot unlike a salvation of noise, your broke asshands the arithmetic of Five Pointsthe library dust in your bones my favoritepoem running over a cliff my darkbloody muse, my nigga, i love youin the worst way, i mouth pomegranatein gummy bliss, kernels falling like mannainto your lap, i milk honeysuckle and your bellyswells with child, you are mineyour youngest born an otherme, your blood pooled beneath his skin, you spitand we puddle into pink chlorine at Mozley Parkyou are my magic, the wickedSunday morning song i scythefrom my mother's hair like hotoil in your kitchen we feastwe commune, bitch you my whole lyricain't i said it enough, that you lovelike an orange? i pull you from the vine and weepat how many times you can halve in mypalm and not slip away bitch, you tenderme you give me better language for mybroken you don't pretend to fix i love youinto some better hymn, you the whole soupyou the roux of me, my solemn chew my niggayou the gristle, i love you the bone splinteri love you the gum ache, i love you the jigsaw sweat [End Page 225] the deep sigh the belly slick the muscledsprint from sun to dusk, you the stari follow to rid myself the Mason Dixoni line you up over my father's toilet,when i bleed you gather my family to praywhen i pray you beckon my mother's godto listen, my god, my best friend i love you,i love you and am aliveto witness you be this great iteration this majesticselfishness bitch you give memy me back, you give me my meat, you give meenough food to fill my plate my mamasay she got 12 kids and birthed only threei wish this holy multiplication upon our childrenour thick-headed young, a legion of fool ass saints

linked by the hip of their own namestogether, long after we dead [End Page 226]

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