M. Carmen Lane (Tuscarora, Mohawk, African-American) is a two:spirit poet and cultural worker living in Kahyonha:ke (Cleveland, Ohio). Their poetry has been published in the Yellow Medicine Review, River Blood & Corn, and Red Ink Magazine. Carmen contributed to the Lambda Literary nominated anthology Sovereign Erotics: A Collection of Two-Spirit Literature. Their first collection of poetry is Calling Out After Slaughter (GTK Press, 2015).
~
Road
arrogant
you are
not the
mother
they have
called in
using sacred
medicine
molesting
entry
for a
lesser
purpose
this baby
will not
change you
will not
offer
gratitude
none
of these
babies
have
saved
you
not from him
not from the
other him
not from
him too
walk.
~
White Teeth
when
the molar
was
removed
extra bone/ flesh
complicated
extraction
was
want to
leave
felt
pounding
in my
chest
kin to
an unexpected
death
is this how I would end?
alone
with two strangers
in my mouth
face swollen
no lover
they often
identify lost
remains through
teeth
density of
bone
Did she possess
all of her teeth?
had they long been
removed?
“What kind of human being
takes teeth from the bodies
of black men?” she asked.
a white person
I wrote this with a smile.
~
Post-Patriarchy Dessert
stab him
to death
sever
his
spine
disembowel
white rotted
guts of
an old/ not
ancient
manhood
burn
zie puffy
flesh
scorched
of a salty
phallacy
flush with
cowardice
~
The simplicity of layout deepens the power of the words. Considerable, conscious-biding, provocative images. Thank you for penning these painful truths.
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