A Memory of Us
when i think of us i think of the lakewater
near longtown, what might not technically
constitute a lake but i prefer that word for
the open mouth of its vowel, how it called
us to its throat & held us there, in the sun,
the high points of our faces slick with light
& its arc around our shoulders, the soft
gathering of flesh around our knees,
the lone chair we found near the shore
where we took turns posing, jutting out
an eloquent hip, cackling in the bright language
of flowers for whom i downloaded an app
& learned their names: beautyberry, yarrow,
cornus florida, black-eyed susan, & you,
& you, my bright hibiscus, my every color
Copyright Credit: Safia Elhillo, "A Memory of Us" from World Literature Today, July 12 2020. Copyright © 2020 by Safia Elhillo. Reprinted by permission of Safia Elhillo.
Source: World Literature Today, July 12 2020 (World Literature Today, 2020)