Poem no. 1: entitled, 'A nation'

I've been working on a couple of different things away from here which will all be coming out soon (insha'Allah) in print + online! But in the meantime, I've also been writing poetry...

eyes are tired, but feet are light;

knees swing freely but hips pull tight;

weight presses forward with each step past dusk as they thieve time from the night.

A soul traverses the curse and blessing of its journey on its own rite/right;

of self and of passage;

The trek is lonely less you call upon the massive;

a community’s cacophony pours in as free jazz, can you grasp it?

can you excavate your cavities and last it, I ain’t seen my man since

he allowed the depths of his waters to wash over him with naan wince;

gods and earths pulsate, sensate as plans rinse.

heavy-laden lids take in the world at glimpse;

pupils fill to their black brims.

Is it cruel to seek self-honesty or askance?

Can I witness godliness without religion, in the surveillance of my black kin?

Seeking knowledge first started at the other, trying to unmask it, before eyes turned towards the only son of my mother.

Whispering a prayer unto the ummah I share with each and every one of my brothers.