Glossary of Selected Terms
What is skin,
if not a taut swaddle
loosening, body
if not a warm swaddle
cooling, blood
if not thread
in a swaddle
made of body, horizons
if not lines
where sky swaddles
Earth. See father.
Stars, if not swaddled
matter emitting light. See spirit.
Wind, if it does not trace
paths around bodies. See blood.
Universe, if not outermost
concentric circle. See mother.
A kiss, if not mouths pressed
into wet twists, taste
if not flavor swaddling
tongue, father
if not the option
to swaddle, spirit
if not the smallest unit
of the swaddled, mother
if not hips
swaddling womb. See skin.
See body. See wind. See universe. See blood.
after Nin Andrews
Copyright Credit: Jonterri Gadson, "Glossary of Selected Terms" from Blues Triumphant. Copyright © 2016 by Jonterri Gadson. Reprinted by permission of YesYes Books.