nejma

by Nayyirah Waheed

the night west of the ocean. i fell asleep between your body and your soft unbody. — zejune

the sun cleanses itself. i cleanse myself. for both of us. it is morning. — wudū

God this is beautiful

put some honey and sea water by your bed. acknowledge. that your being needs sweetness and cleansing. that it is sore. that you are. soft. — orishas

Love

yes. yes i do. have the right to be this lush and neverending.

the little bits of langston. phyllis wheatley. and angelou during black history month. are the crumbs.

and so. we are here. brown babies. worshipping. feeding. the glutton that is white literature. even after it dies.

How fucking true - and Black lit is so beautiful what a waste in educating

you. everything about you. comes so naturally to me.

the first time i met my mother. i knew she was not mine.

Wow

all the women. in me. are tired.

i am mine. before i am ever anyone else’s. — in

melanin is a wisdom that knew.

will make you. on my back. ii will raise you this way. a child of the gravity. and the light. — constellation

your father left. when you were in the womb. took his blood. and walked out the door. while you were in the house of your mother. in the house of your mother. took his blood. when you needed it most. if he could keep searching his hands. in the midst of your creation. could hear you forming on your mother’s life. on his life. and gather all his feet in secret. all the other wild adventures of missing. he would drag you through. would only ever be this wound. over and over and over again. your father left. when you were in the womb.

took his blood. and walked out the door. it would be the first and final. of all the le...

(that neverending nurturing you need. the sea has it.)

do not choose the lesser life. do you hear me. do you hear me. choose the life that is. yours. the life that is seducing your lungs. that is dripping down your chin.

the first time the mother saw it on her child. she said ‘no. don’t you dare. you will not grow up thinking you are unwanted. because your father. chose. himself. over you. this will not be your story because it is not the truth. the truth. is. your creation is not about him. not about me. you came through us, my love. we were your vessel. the truth is you were born for you. you were wanted by you. you came for you. you are here for you. your existence is yours. yes.

‘no. don’t you dare. you will not grow up thinking you are unwanted. because your mother. chose herself. over you. this will not be your story because it is not the truth. the truth.

but. what you do not get. from her. does not make you less. does not make you unwanted. (trust that all you did not receive. all you need. will come to you. in time. the universe is infinite.’)

Yes