I.
what blood may we acknowledge
what blood may we desire
what blood may we name
what blood will not disrupt
what blood will not disturb
what blood will not discomfort
what blood will unshackle the woman
what blood will unshackle the man
what blood will we honor
what blood will we ignore
what blood will unshackle the boy
what blood will unshackle the girl
what blood what blood what blood
II.
when we name the blood
we must play dead
a line was drawn
between our two countries
four centuries ago
and yet we are blamed
branded divisive
when we open our mouth
and speech spurts like blood
staining your white shirt
your white skin
your white world
when we name the blood
we must also swallow it
when we name the blood
we must also mother it
III.
we never left the plantation
we never left the cotton field
summer of labor
summer of need
but now we whip our own backs
now we sell our own flesh
and ain't we free now
ain't we living
ain't we dying
ain't we dying
IV.
sojourner truth said,
ain't i a woman?
now we say,
ain't i a human?
but we are talking to ourselves now
we are talking to ourselves
أنت تقرأ
no woman's land
الشعرbless the blood no one can see highest rankings: #1 in poembook #1 in thoughtsandfeelings #1 in personal #1 in freeverse © z. t. corley, 2023
