The Opening
The opening to the Other Side is beneath the L tracks
next to the beauty supply
(the one that's down next to the corner store).
It is topsy-turvy, discombobulating––
in the way one imagines death may be.
It is no cakewalk.
Take two steps and knock three times.
Take a breath.
Scream.
Rock.
Have a final burst of living.
Ponder.
Release.
Copyright Credit: Diamond J. Sharp, "The Opening" from Super Sad Black Girl. Copyright © 2022 by Diamond J. Sharp. Reprinted by permission of Haymarket Books.