Begin With Me
after Lucille Clifton
I began like you. With what I was given,
a mama, a third, a daddy, and a little brother
I love like a corner piece of heaven.
We were a poor people given nothing,
we had to earn our life like we wanted our life.
I knew my mama’s voice through all the other mamas’ voices.
I knew my little brother’s lying
like I knew our father’s lying,
same song, higher key.
I am alive living near some graves
I share the last night with
Death will make a space forthere’s love in that.
