Here Lies

By Jordan Harris

here lies the body of our dearest
sister, auntie, daughter, cousin, and friend
somber screams still leak from her lips like a dripping faucet
listen...
you hear that?
the cold bleak silence that crept up her spine like vines
like rough, callused hands weaving their way across her skin
like stolen sun from the sunflower patch of her black girl magic
she was crushed, minimized right before our eyes
memorialized and laid to rest without her permission
we never get to choose
shackles posing as tennis bracelets
batches and batches of makeup to hide the scars on our crimson painted faces
we are tired.

a constant tug of war over what is rightfully ours
we should not have to fight so hard for what is rightfully ours
we should not have to fight alone for what is rightfully ours
we should not have to fight our own for what is rightfully ours

every ounce of our souls left at the will of predators
excuse me preachers
or maybe it was the teacher
no i know it was the uncle
wait no it was the grandfather
wait no it was the brother
wait no i thought he was my brother
wait no it couldn’t be my father
or maybe he was a stranger....
we say her name, write it in the sands of time
only to be wisped away
here lies the restless body of your dearest...

i’m sorry
does that make it more real for you?