Between the police headquarters and McDonald’s
Between blinding neon X’s and scrolling marquees
Between 11 and 4
Between her left and right legs
Stuck in the middle of making money and staying sane
Stuck in the rapture of the quick money and private dances
Between the glistening rain-pelted palm leaves
He spots her,
He the notorious boa that haunts the dreams of children
An Ebony creature with fur as silky Black as the night that cloaks her
She thinks she’s hidden
Under the unsure patter of light that blinks from the tall offices
Among the entangling vines and poisonous-dart-orange and indigo blue blossoms
Among the screeching tires and fighting cats
Among dirty condoms and garbage cans
Under the gazing shadow of the night sky
Against the choking sweat of his constricting hands
Against the shame of long nights and aching feet
She fights until the leaves and broken bits of bark are coated with fire ant red
Amid falling petals of dogwood
Playful pink and wistful white
Plentiful and plush
Her young brown curls fly about her as she dances for her mother
"What kind of man should I marry?"
Her mother looks at this tiny version of herself and begins to pray
"When I love
I love hard
When I love
I love Strong
When I love
I won’t do you wrong
So love me pretty mama all night long"
Between blinding neon X’s and scrolling marquees
Between 11 and 4
Between her left and right legs
Stuck in the middle of making money and staying sane
Stuck in the rapture of the quick money and private dances
Between the glistening rain-pelted palm leaves
He spots her,
He the notorious boa that haunts the dreams of children
An Ebony creature with fur as silky Black as the night that cloaks her
She thinks she’s hidden
Under the unsure patter of light that blinks from the tall offices
Among the entangling vines and poisonous-dart-orange and indigo blue blossoms
Among the screeching tires and fighting cats
Among dirty condoms and garbage cans
Under the gazing shadow of the night sky
Against the choking sweat of his constricting hands
Against the shame of long nights and aching feet
She fights until the leaves and broken bits of bark are coated with fire ant red
Amid falling petals of dogwood
Playful pink and wistful white
Plentiful and plush
Her young brown curls fly about her as she dances for her mother
"What kind of man should I marry?"
Her mother looks at this tiny version of herself and begins to pray
"When I love
I love hard
When I love
I love Strong
When I love
I won’t do you wrong
So love me pretty mama all night long"
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