will whisper,

“like you

I knew thunder”

whenever

I tell

the lights

about

[Verse 2]

You.

A swallow

of my

damaged system.

These homes

used to be

one room

in vain.

I am enough

of a waste.

Fade

the grind.

Sell this light

down. Shut off a

[Verse 3]

mirror. Today,

rake the wound.

Tongue your

real like

[Hook]

promise.

[Skit]

(Dying of Thirst)

I was once

a rupture

of water.

how the world will end/slavery returns to the black man

there is a gas station that is responsible

for you/the year is 2051/we made it/

thank you for that/Mayans regularly sacrifice

again/they came back/wear Boy Scout uniforms/

and carry pitchforks/made up in powder/they worship

the image of Michael Jackson/because more copies

of his face were found than that of/Jesus/

they all assume/he was our most worshipped

God/I don’t have the heart/to correct them/

I pump gas at this station/that is responsible for you/

they put me in electric blue heels/made out

of the Caribbean coastline/what’s left of it/

is in the fabric/gripping my left ankle/don’t know

where they drained the rest/although women do

look a lot more/water/logged these days/

their eyes/are not responsible/for you/

in that way/they are unlike this gas station/

no woman here knows/of your blood/the brimming

of it in your/shot-out lids/like a drive by/

this/you are responsible for/actually/

the only way/I am able/to speak to you/

the only way/this conversation is possible/this

is happening/because I am/pumping/

you/into a car/they operate/on your antibodies/

every car is/responsible for you/you

drive the masses/

Notes

“Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst ” is track ten on the album good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012) by Kendrick Lamar.

“Juicy” is a single off of the album Ready to Die (1994) by Notorious B.I.G.

“The Gettysburg Address” is a speech given by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

I want to give thanks/blessings/praise to the following folks whose hands touched this manuscript and helped to make it exist: to Sean Mega DeVignes, Safia Elhillo, Camonghne Felix, Ishmael Ish Islam, Mahogany L Browne, Beau Sia, Michelle Denise Jackson, Alexa Velasquez, Alex Key, Yarminiah Rosa, Josh Smith, Jon Sands, Angel Nafis, Shira Erlichman, Donny Jackson, Murktarat Yusuff, Audrey Hailes, Connor Sampson, Taylor Simone, Rico Fdk, Libby Olga Howard, Rachel Zucker, NYU’s Undergraduate Creative Writing Department at Lilian Vernon on West 10th, Slam NYU, Sybil Cooksey, Mike Mlekoday, Samuel J. Cook, Dylan Garity, Michael Lee, and the entire staff & creative team that is Button Poetry/Exploding Pinecone Press, Button Poetry for existing, being fly/generous/brave and allowing me time/space/freedom to build this work, to Bao Phi for reading this joint. For saying “yes.” And to Machelle Bailey, Craig Barnes, Sarita Barnes, Stephanie Barnes, Gary Stephenson and Sebastian Rivera, aka, The Family, the Original Ride or Die.