Home (Gratitude Poem #16)

Black Amazon! Warrior of my dreams, beacon of all Audre's dreams coming true! The day we met in person you transubstantiated online alignment instantaneously into love. You recognized me as family, even though it would be years before we actually called out the names of our ancestors and realized that we probably actually are cousins back there. I will say about us what June Jordan said to Audre Lorde:

"You and I hold so much in common. West Indian. Which is to say driven and unreasonably proud and riveted to thousands of pages of thousands of books."

Knowing you is a reason to be proud. It is the best excuse to love myself again. I love you so much Sydette and am so proud to call you sister comrade!!!

Infinite gratitude to Sydette and everyone else who dug deep to support my grassroots dream of flying home to Audre!!! http://alexispauline.chipin.com/praise-the-lorde-st-croix-dream-trip

Home

For Sydette Harry

After Audre Lorde’s “Women on Trains”

I never see you at home

forest brought

monument to sand

planetary brilliance

I always see you

at home

our truth belies our training

you are a tree

i would stand and fight next to

any time of day

but I would rather

stay up all night laughing

our joy left ransom

for the act right impulse of strangers

your smile is a reminder

this is why we make home

out of hallways

out of half-met promises

out of custom sneakers

and sweets

home is how you move

everything hasn’t

been taken

crown in place

home is how you make

roadside regal

posture bought

by not believing bullshit

home is no

home is know

whose said so

don’t mean squat

in the line of lies

for sale

home is

we can drop a ritual

any time

no space is owned

our most gangster ancestors

show up with us at the door

home is precise

those who act

like they don’t

know

can be recast quick

flash your eyes

fireweed shield around love

to say

do not let your ignorance

make you

expendable

we were put here to survive

we will grow this world in a windowbox

or a toilet

flush to realness

tangled from escape

rooted

before McKenzie

and after and through

growing screams

but is not broken

here

here

right here

we unleash home.