by Malika Booker
***
A Levite persuades his unlawful wife to return to him – Judges 19
(Objection)
- The man raided like law was his warrant
- What right to raid the law like his warrant, his right
- The man persuaded/ raided/ marriage law his sanctity
Persuades
– Substitute dragged; hair clamped in palms
Persuades
– Substitute with hand collaring throat
Persuades
– Barricade breached, law unlawful to my body
Persuades
– His right, his might, my flight – ask why?
Persuades
– Picture fist hammering my cowering body, fake Tabanka smiles
Persuades
– Picture his smiles at wife with grilled teeth
Persuades
– Picture grip, and ignored, glass pressed into skin
Persuades
– Picture body in a car trunk
Persuades
– Picture body thrown, carted over donkey back
Persuade
– Picture punishable death.
***
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
The donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
This donkey can’t drag no damn load.
***
And it came to pass in those days when
him woo me like dew shine on grass blade
And it came to pass in those days, when
I was pastures green, not ripe to be swayed
And that there was a certain Levite who look to him
steups – not took to him, state instead, “ensnared”
And that there was a certain Levite who took to him…
that then wore, no, bruk me up like untamed mare
And that there was a certain Levite sojourning
loitering, liming to whistle gal passing rum shop
That there was a certain Levite sojourning
label horner man to woo gal fi fling down hill top
Who took to him a concubine out of…
steups – say took me to him as damned wife thereof.
***
They have a way he start eye up my body
say he thickening me up like I is rump
Say he thickening me up like I is rump
body to disect, slaughter, quarter and cut up
Body to disect, slaughter, quarter and cut up
I was parade each day on his auction block
My parades are pirouettes, toes bloody on wood block
is the way he watch me, make I had was to run
Is the way he fists lick me make I had was to run
one foot in front of the other, mi skin put foot
One foot in front of the other, mi black skin put foot
cos in his words I was a bird to pluck.
***
Like yard fowl I run run back to mi Poopa yard
but but he welcome rancid as spoiled coconut
water. What mek yuh run, come back, home, little gal?
over and over like stuck record. When he kick kick
our dog down concrete steps. When palms bruk wood table.
When blood stained stained our sheets each morning’s bloom.
But was not poppa’s bosom a rock and hard hard chest!
His vile viper tongue hissed, Sketel, hissed salope, said, girl
man have right to fling lash in he wayward wife ass
finger pointed pointed to St James scripture, like Judge’s
verdict, then fist hammered wood. Yet I know in these
island villages, when man shadow have weight heavy so,
is one sleep away from blood hot with rum to raising cutlass,
over woman prone body, so I hauled up my skirt and put foot.
***
Man look at my crosses, they scrape my name from story like scaling fish
because as woman is rass to get you name to slip onto they tongues,
when the storyteller ah grind him crusty foot-bottom on top you back.
Because as woman is rass to get you name to slip onto their tongues
when the storyteller ah grind him crusty foot-bottom on top you back
flinging names like runway gal, like whore, like property pon auction block.
When the storyteller ah grind him crusty foot-bottom on top you back
flinging names like runway gal, like whore, like property pon auction block
but though you chain me neck like dog , me mind dances pon ruffled water.
Flinging names like runway gal, like whore, like property pon auction block
but though you chain me neck like dog , me mind dances pon ruffled water
The trees also bears witness and they shake whispering and bawling out my name
but though you chain me neck like dog , me mind dances pon ruffled water
The trees also bear witness and they shake whispering and bawling out my name
Yes I always runway see how much wanted poster nail pon fence
The trees also bear witness and they shake whispering and bawling out my name
Yes I always runway see how much wanted poster nail pon fence
But is not the black woman’s name always soured in the mouth of men
Yes I always runway see how much wanted poster nail pon fence
But is not the black woman’s name always soured in the mouth of men
How they pelt cuss pon my reputation like licks, like peas, like my body is nothing.
But is not the black woman’s name always soured in the mouth of men
How they pelt cuss pon my reputation like licks, like peas, like my body is nothing
History always cast this black body inna horror story and pelt me out of the frame.
How they pelt cuss pon my reputation like licks, like peas, like my body is nothing
History always cast this black body inna horror story and pelt me out of the frame.
Gal how they swallow my name to the bottom of their stinking belly to swim in acid.
History always cast this black body inna horror story and pelt me out of the frame.
Gal how they swallow my name to the bottom of their stinking belly to swim in acid.
Yet feisty and hard ears is like heavy stones lodged in the bass of my belly bottom.
Gal how they swallow my name to the bottom of her stinking belly to swim in acid.
Yet feisty and hard ears is like heavy stones lodged in the bass of my belly bottom.
Is not rass to slip my own name under lay bones, something in me could not be broken
Nane, name, nema, unname name —
Name name name
unname name
***
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife divided her together with her bones.
he took a knife
he took a knife
***
Poem copyright 2023 by Malika Booker. All rights reserved.
See also, “Abraham the Night Before the Sacrifice,” by Malika Booker debuted on The Fight & The Fiddle.
Read more in this issue: Interview | Critical Essay | Writing Prompt