Poetry Explication
RaquelB88
Untitleddocument.pdf
Jade Foster
JESSUP/ A POEM TO PRISON
i refuse to
write another poem
to prison
yes i refuse
to write another
poem to prison
where my father
lives is too far
my father lives
too far away
my dreams don't
reach him in
the middle
the middle of
the night, he's
too far to hear
to hear me to
read me to sleep
my father lives
too far away
and my letters
can't reach him
my letters
miss teeth and
sail. i refuse
i refuse to write
another poem
to prison
a poem that
corners me into
just black girl,
when really
my name
is his.
the letters write
him in my room
he is a phonic phantom
and i sound his shape
out with my pencil
he is on the other
side of the bed after
a nightmare, the letters
write... write
him in my day
a glyphic kiss to
his cheek after school
he is cooking
potatoes and pepper
in the kitchen.
i read him the
poems that i wrote
in school. he is
proud as red, but
he leaves, again
i refuse to write
another poem
to prison. the words
they taunt me and
boomerang back
in my lap.
