25 to life/

 

 

 

When they said ''hard time",

they didn't mean we would do it together,

touching shadows, matching fingers and palms

thru the plexiglass. Pretending as if our lips

actually could make saliva; mouthing words

taken up by the bright lights,

your corn-rows, more radiant.

When they checked your shoes

and socks for contraband,

never before were your toe nails

polished more blood red, smelling

as if you walked past the guards

and God,

just to love me.

Reviews

[Corset]

25 is a perfect number for do overs, I chloroformed them with my socks, Now I wonder just how much do you see? I hate being blind, but at least I 'm lucky, like a rabbit who lost his foot but realizes he's lucky alive even without it...though he scratches the itch where it used to be.

[lee von cleef]

past the guards and god , just to love me. now the song, of hard time 8x9 , time....

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Commentary and observations, concise yet profound.

I felt myself into a documentary of a youth of 25 year old, watching and painting in his head while he watched her feet through the bars... the observation, the mutal love, the moment burned on ones retina, forevermore... this was hard, painful, but beautiful music, dana, thank you.

- Elisa

[Marie Anzalone]

An interesting and sobering perspective, dana. I recently watched a TED Talk that featured a Black woman who interviews people and performs using snippets of their words as performance sketches in character. She had one of the most powerful presences I have ever seen. One of her perfomances was of a poor woman, jailed, who talked about the night her daughter died to the beating administered by the woman's lover. The words were haunting, slef-effacing, and scapegoating- yet at the same time, vulnerable and painful. How easy to forget that we are all human, that some walls just separate more or less than others. I will be thinking of those toenails for a while.

On another note, I am saddened beyond words by the departure of our mutual friend. It is so hard to be a bright spirit here, sometimes.