Genesis Begins Again

by Alicia D. Williams

But as soon as we round the corner of my block, my heart skips like a scratched CD.

I recall every bad memory, every negative word, because when I sing, I’m gonna conjure the loneliness of Billie Holiday, the joy of Ella Fitzgerald, the soul and longing of Etta James. I’ll sing for every girl who feels like . . . feels like me.