The Tradition
Aster. Nasturtium. Delphinium. We thought
Fingers in dirt meant it was our dirt, learning
Names in heat, in elements classical
Philosophers said could change us. Star Gazer.
Foxglove. Summer seemed to bloom against the will
Of the sun, which news reports claimed flamed hotter
On this planet than when our dead fathers
Wiped sweat from their necks. Cosmos. Baby’s Breath.
Men like me and my brothers filmed what we
Planted for proof we existed before
Too late, sped the video to see blossoms
Brought in seconds, colors you expect in poems
Where the world ends, everything cut down.
John Crawford. Eric Garner. Mike Brown.
Copyright Credit: Jericho Brown, "The Tradition" from The Tradition. Copyright © 2019 by Jericho Brown. Reprinted by permission of Copper Canyon Press, www.coppercanyonpress.org.
Source: The Tradition (Copper Canyon Press, www.coppercanyonpress.org, 2019)