Untitled
By Jayne Cortez
Harsh Cries From
The Tomb Of
Little Rock
Blown In The Soul
Of The Pyramids
Where The Sphinx
Keep Watch
Over Pharoah
Whose Ferocious Whip
Bleeds Fire & Stone
Burning The Priestess
As The Final Course
Of Pain
Before Freeing
Money Torn People
In The Bethel City
Known As
little black egypt land
Notes:
This essay is part of the portfolio “Jayne Cortez: I Imitate No One.” You can read the rest of the portfolio in the November 2024 issue.
“Untitled” is excerpted from Firespitter: The Collected Poems of Jayne Cortez (Nightboat Books, 2025) and was originally published in Pissstained Stairs and the Monkey Man’s Wares (1969). We are grateful to Nightboat Books for their assistance in compiling this folio, and to the estate of Jayne Cortez for their permission in reprinting this poems.
Source: Poetry (November 2024)