She rocks black girl scabs
like a badge of sorrow and regret
deep, bloodied, layered
suckles on hurt and disappointment
can only gift you
keloid love and collateral scars
heart welded closed
unfed it suffocates
return blows don’t reach it
She thinks this is safety
this refugee passion
this battle, this war
But this is death
A stunted delusion
vacant vampire life
You, carried the same marks
prefer to leave your lesions
outside for sun-healing
Blood, time, new skin
flesh restored so deeply
no longer nourishment for wounded bloodsuckers
Author Bio:
Nichelle Johnson is a writer who rediscovered her passion for poetry after taking part in the Tongues of Fire writing workshops at the Audre Lorde Project. She was a part of that workshop for three years. After a blocked period, she began to be a regular participant of the Women Writers in Bloom Poetry Salon (WWBPS). She recently featured at the 2 1/2 year celebration of WWBPS at Bluestockings Bookstore and the Glitter Pomegranate reading series in Brooklyn.
She makes a living consulting as a Database Manger.
like a badge of sorrow and regret
deep, bloodied, layered
suckles on hurt and disappointment
can only gift you
keloid love and collateral scars
heart welded closed
unfed it suffocates
return blows don’t reach it
She thinks this is safety
this refugee passion
this battle, this war
But this is death
A stunted delusion
vacant vampire life
You, carried the same marks
prefer to leave your lesions
outside for sun-healing
Blood, time, new skin
flesh restored so deeply
no longer nourishment for wounded bloodsuckers
Author Bio:
Nichelle Johnson is a writer who rediscovered her passion for poetry after taking part in the Tongues of Fire writing workshops at the Audre Lorde Project. She was a part of that workshop for three years. After a blocked period, she began to be a regular participant of the Women Writers in Bloom Poetry Salon (WWBPS). She recently featured at the 2 1/2 year celebration of WWBPS at Bluestockings Bookstore and the Glitter Pomegranate reading series in Brooklyn.
She makes a living consulting as a Database Manger.
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