Poetry: Two Poems by Imani Davis
at least for now
while her raspy sermon pierces
the house party
it is enough
to be a splintered storm
grief spiking in every direction
rico launches a molasses shriek
& the sound makes men
neon in their seats
i have been afraid of anger
for too long
what beast it could summon
from beneath the river
of my skin i get it
i carry my father’s face
why not his fists too
his jagged impulse
for blood as a child
i wrote horror stories
starring everyone
who’d ever wronged me
shayla pushes me during recess
the narrative pushes
her down a well
poor choice victim
of a nameless anger
death note soaked in saltwater
later, i lost baby
teeth & learned myths of monsters
in mouths of Black girls
found out all the fright I can deal
by just raising my voice
i’m learning to rage
without worrying
what a scream can cost me
the first time i hear rico nasty’s “poppin”
everything in me forgets its cage
i sugar screech my bedroom
don’t worry about the words
all the best monsters never need a script
so for the flickering eternity
of this song, i will be no different
why commit
to meaning when feeling is enough
& who better to learn from than rico
rich
in the sacred currency
of a howl
bratz doll minotaur
all-knowing type of bitch
familiar with this specific magic
graveling through my headphones
when she’s with me, i become the bride
of chaos i make
sorrow a mosh pit & bruise
shame past recognition
i thank every god
on my chain that I ain’t have to smack a bitch
today
& so what if I did?
who gon’ beat my ass?
About Imani Davis
Imani Davis is a queer Black writer from Brooklyn. Find them at imani-davis.com.