Silence stirs around
sister soldiers sailing
too soon to the spirit world.
In this city, gods have no power.
In this battle, another mother will lose
her son or her daughter to the shadows.
Tonight a Black woman will leave her flesh
folded by the window seal—she roams
streets shouting in tongues
searching for righteousness or revenge.
After scattering blood around the town
she’ll put back on her skin and read palms.
Follow each line and recount each soul
that departed early. How many hands
have played a part in murder without just cause?