Burn Letter
Do you remember the painting i gave you?
Burn it, please
spit
step
throw
hide
curse
scorn
rebuke
neglect
& reject it
Please
i beg you,
for me
(as a favor?)
Please
i want to know you know
i want you to be honest
& true
there never was a way
- you should have said no -
& i should have asked
it is assumptions that kill
so please
burn
cut
cover
sell
forget
and laugh
at the painting i made you
as a second gift?
as a way to gift back?
i know i’ve already demanded a lot from you . . .
so please fancy me this
last. one. thing
but before you do look at the flower–
it is not really a flower
:)
look at the dried tomatoes
their red is not full of life
consider the fall squash that
rests besides them
they are all dead.
they call these still-lifes
but the italians have it better:
::natura morta::
those models had to die
- and, once preserved -
my painting will, too.
sry,
i did not mean it
if you step back
you’ll realize
that the painting
for you
from me
has sparked poetry
–it is creating–
violence, is a minor result
but it is creating art
which is a form of life
of living.so you see,
i did not
mean it,
when i said:
“please burn the painting
i gave you”i really meant to say
that you and i continue to
create
even at a distance
even now
you inspire me
you
he’s beautiful i know
im ugly i know
and holds your hand when y’all
walk
and has a killer smile
and can dance
well
and seems confident
for these reasons
he must have charmed you
the way he cared for the poor
wore his politics on his sleeve
he must have carried you away
because he can
because – like you – he is white
and powerful
and beautiful
and has all.
and i am just beginning to
decolonize
and self-define myself
and you could not wait
you are strong
and ready
and smart
and trust your instincts
i am short
and round
and poorly endowed
i sometimes read
and sometimes write
and people at times read what i write
i paint
and am appreciated for it
i am illegal
and suffer for it
but putting borders aside
the worst thing
was losing – tho never having -
you
