Eleven More American Women Poets in the 21st Century: Poetics Across North America

lucifer speaks in his own voice

Lucille Clifton | 61 from Quilting eve’s version smooth talker slides into my dreams and fills them with apple apple snug as my breast in the palm of my hand apple sleek apple sweet and bright in my mouth it is your own lush self you hunger for he whispers lucifer honey-tongue. lucifer speaks in his own voice sure as i am of the seraphim folding wing so am i certain of a graceful bed and a soft caress along my long belly at endtime it was to be i who was called son if only of the morning saw that some must walk or all will crawl 62 | Eleven More American Women Poets in the 21st Century so slithered into earth and seized the serpent in the animals i became the lord of snake for adam and for eve i the only lucifer light-bringer created out of fire illuminate i could and so illuminate i did from The Book of Light daughters woman who shines at the head of my grandmother’s bed, brilliant woman, i like to think you whispered into her ear instructions. i like to think you are the oddness in us, you are the arrow that pierced our plain skin and made us fancy women; my wild witch gran, my magic mama, and even these gaudy girls. i like to think you gave us extraordinary power and to protect us, you became the name we were cautioned to forget. ...