[But, love, hate on, for now I know thy mind]

Caroline Randall Williams
Mouth

“Lucy, Lucy, where you been?”
                                          Living in brown sugar sin.
“Lucy, Lucy, where’s you man?”
                                          He come and taste me when he can.
“Lucy, Lucy, ain’t you hitched?”
                                          No, I’m just his so good bitch.
“Lucy, Lucy. Baby is you blue?”
                                          Tch. I’m tired of feeling blackgirl used.
“Lucy, Lucy, that’s no kinda life.”
                                          Black girl ain’t no kinda wife.
“Lucy, Lucy, how you stand it?”
                                          It’s better than bein’ empty handed.
“Lucy, Lucy, even you’s God’s flesh.”
                                          This world ain’t wanna see that yet.

Caroline Randall Williams is currently pursuing her MFA at the University of Mississippi. A 2010 Harvard graduate, she is also the coauthor of two books, The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Princess (a young adult novel) and Soul Food Love (a cookbook/memoir). Her first collection of poetry, Lucy Negro, Redux (Ampersand Books) was published in spring 2015. Photo credit: Tenola Bravura Plaxico