my dream about being white

Lucille Clifton

hey music and

only white,

hair a flutter of

fall leaves

circling my perfect

line of a nose,

no lips,

no behind, hey

white me

and i'm wearing

white history

but there’s no future

in those clothes

so i take them off and

wake up

dancing.

4/30/92 for rodney king by Lucille Clifton
so

blessing the boats by Lucille Clifton
may the tide

cutting greens by Lucille Clifton
curling them around

far memory by Lucille Clifton
my knees recall the pockets

here rests by Lucille Clifton
my sister Josephine

homage to my hips by Lucille Clifton
these hips are big hips.

it was a dream by Lucille Clifton
in which my greater self

jasper texas 1998 by Lucille Clifton
i am a man's head hunched in the road

miss rosie by Lucille Clifton
when I watch you

mulberry fields by Lucille Clifton
they thought the field was wasting

poem in praise of menstruation by Lucille Clifton
if there is a river

poem to my uterus by Lucille Clifton
you uterus

sisters by Lucille Clifton
me and you be sisters...

sorrows by Lucille Clifton
who would believe them winged

the earth is a living thing by Lucille Clifton
is a black shambling bear

the lost baby poem by Lucille Clifton
the time i dropped your almost body down

the lost women by Lucille Clifton
i need to know their names

to my last period by Lucille Clifton
well, girl, goodbye

wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton
i wish them cramps.

won't you celebrate with me by Lucille Clifton
won't you celebrate with me