Claire Acerno took it upon herself to send some of her most poignant recent work to us. Although the topics are fairly different, we saw a mess of promise in both. Her words make us feel at ease, at the same time conjuring up imagery that makes us want to stand up for ourselves and for the rights of others.
We are big fans of her work, and we think you will be too.
How can a Poem Help this Mess the World is in
If it could it…
I would stand in front of a firing squad
let a hundred angry men shoot me down
for the love of all black men
a promise for them
If I could snap my mouth open shut
alligator hard eat pain shit out love
over churned land for fertile ground
grow peace for humanity
hang it’s leaves
to dry roll it light it
hold hate’s collective nose
inhale clouds of smoke
exhale innocence over intolerance
chill out violence
re-freeze it’s melting glaciers
with my sharpened pencil
I’d cut out the mass cancer
I would suck up past wrongs
till lesions formed on my hands
consume my skin for children’s fate
heat would rise and I would sink
sink deep in the ground
fill earths source with cleansed waters
drunk to one color
If I could I would
If we are one
then we are ONE
In Jesus name
In Moses, in Budda
and all that is Good and right
leave the black man the fuck alone!
Gemini
It was very clear
two lives happening at once
one as lived
in my bones
and mine again
a train running parallel
on a rod of light
I can switch-switch
remnants strewn
on the side of a hill
data files full
useless papers torn
burnt ashes to ashes
I’ll come again
slide the view master
further back further out
switch switch
who’s there
knock knock
orange you glad
I didn’t say
this is not real
not so funny so nice
you got to do it twice
switch switch
this one here now
how you see it
how you don’t.
