Vashti
“Here, taste this”
She said, having just a stir
Earlier, done the same thing.
Her right hand
Guiding the spoon
To the ohm
Of my mouth,
Her left hand,
Half a prayer,
Cupped to catch the spill.
It never spilled.
It was never a secret recipe.
All the while she blew,
To cool the surface
Of the gravy,
The soup,
The pot liquor,
The sauce,
The souse.
It never spilled.
“Here,” she whispered,
“Tell granny
What’s missing.”
Doldrums:
Trade Winds:
Horse Latitudes:
Prevailing Westerlies:
I was with the other women
In the woman’s place
In the palace
And it’s only
The letter “A”
That separates place
From palace
I was with the other women
When he called
I had been up cooking all night
And had just wiped
The last of the semolina
Off my forehead
And we were finally ready to eat
When he called
We were in our one hundredth
And eighty-seventh day of celebrating
One hundred and eighty-seven times
I was called up
Pageanted for him
And the visiting priests, provinces, and princes
He had been feasting for the last six days
Without calling
I waited six
I was queen
He told me that
I was clear
Or tried to convince myself to be clear.
I was picked
Like the prized pie at the carnival
Because I was the fairest
When he called
He never thought
I would refuse him anything
I was lucky you know
And yes
I heard him calling
Cuz I hear everything
I am a woman
Ears trained to ground and sky
I hear the women
Like myself
Rising and Flouring
I hear the women
Like myself
Breaking
Like the bread we made
And ate that day
Women
Who were picked over
For some beauty standard
That had nothing to do with us
I wasn't leaving this party
It felt right
Our big toes and titties
All up in it.
And yes
I heard him calling
But I also heard gods warning breath
Whisper my ear
With my mother’s fear
“Say no girl
Say no”
“Some vegetables” she said,
"Ain't a threat.
They will do exactly to him,
What they name
Say they gon do."
Sunchoke
Black Eye Pea
Kidney Bean
Runner
Split Pea
Beet
Leek
Bitter Melon
So, when he called
It was the seventh day
He had been drinking
His heart was merry with wine
He was drunk
And ordered
Because that's what you can do
When you make someone a queen
He ordered me
To him
In the crown royal
Now
He was read to show me off
And
I
Said
No
Because I a woman
And I am moved
Like the women I am with
And the women I come from
Are moved
And there is a place
And it’s only the letter “A”
That separates place from palace
In my belly now
Fuller than the feast
Whose grease
Lingers on my fingers
There is a place left
From gathering with my like
Telling me what to say
“He is not offering you a seat at the table.
Make a counter offer”
And I am finally ready to hear
This word
This bird
Flying out of my mouth
Turned song
And I am sure
Other queens have heard it
Put their tongues
To the roof of their mouths
And tasted it
My sisters
Esther
Ma’a’cha
Bathsheba
Jezebel
Sheba
Candace
Rahab
Tamar
Delilah
Deborah
Mary
Hagar
We who have all said no
And have not known
And known at the same time
Why
No
For our daughters,
Cast in iron,
The next in our broken royal lines
No
For their voices, strong and spirit led
No
We can say mother and father god
Can think
That in the company of women,
In the huddle of pots,
Quiet wars can be raged
Battles birthing women
Women birthing battles
Who don't forget their kindred
Or their people
When he called
There was new breath in mine
Pushing this defiance
Out of my chest
Like life
Collapsing in on itself
Like rock caught in the craw of my throat
Like tear and snot braced for pain
Like we are getting ready
To sing
Or preach
Or pray
Our mother
Instead of our father,
For the first time
Like I said
When he called
I had been up cooking
All night
Fish greased
Bacon dripped
Spit in hot skillet
To the tooth
And it all boiled down to this…
We had just wiped
The last of the semolina
Off of our foreheads
And
We
Were
Finally
Ready
To
Eat