Prayer of the Backhanded
By Jericho BrownNot the palm, not the pear tree
Switch, not the broomstick,
Nor the closet extension
Cord, not his braided belt, but God
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Understanding Tina Turner
By Tara BettsQuiet girl found a voice mama could not quell
inside Nutbush City Limits. The baby
blasted beyond timid Annie Mae into Tina
Note from a Prodigal Son III
By Randall HortonThe gavel
The splintered body
The red-neck guards
Final Exam Administration
By Remica L. BinghamI enter to find all the students in uniform
occupying a small room.
One Man’s Plea
By Lita HooperFrederick Lake has been to prison
finished his time
convicted in 1989
Manchild
By Cornelius EadyA warning one white friend hisses
To the one standing nearest to me
At an Upper West Side newsstand.
from Things I Don’t Miss From My Youth
By A.B. Spellmanflorene barco moved
to philadelphia &
on a visit home