Steam rises from my grandmother’s crock pot / Freshly cooked rice sits comfortably on the counter / Lamb chops dance across the wedding china my mother—in-law had to buy me / Sparkling wine slides down the side of my favorite wine glasses / And there I stood / By the kitchen door / My sienna skin hugged tight / Fire engine red spandex cradling my hips tenderly / Rhinestones playing childishly with my toes / I stand tall / Primping my fresh curls / Touching up my nude lipstick with a waiting finger /
My eyes can no longer find a distraction in the food I’ve served the table / They dart quickly to the clock / Almost in relief / It’s a quarter til twelve / And I suppose I created this spell / When I told you to go to hell and take James with you / But I need to keep your promise and return back to me when Grandfather calls out medianoche
So I watch / With faith / That my words weren’t poisonous enough to kill you / To murder the tender relationship we fostered so long ago / I can still remember the way you tickled my heart / And rumbled within me / Kicking the air from my chest / The fear from my heart / You made me better / I am stronger because of you / But I didn’t treat you with the respect you deserve / And I apologize / So please come back / Come back to me
I hear Grandfather scream / His twelve friends ceremoniously yell out / You don’t walk through those doors / And I feel my heart shredding apart / The one thing I’ve realized I want / Won’t leap back into my heart / I can see it clear / It’s not hard to see / You’ve made your decision / You’ll always be untouchable to me //
Najya Williams 