Poems

Giving you your roses while you can still smell them

This poem is dedicated to Juieth Tucker, 91, and Cynthia Robinson Tucker, 90, my grandparents whom I love very much. Both alive. Both well. Married forever.

I wrote this poem to say

I hope you know you will forever be loved by me.

You saved my life

You allowed me privacy

You allowed me to be who I am today

I am forever in your debt

You may never understand how crucial your love was - and continues to be -

to me

I want the world to know

I want my love to show, so no matter what, you’ll never forget me

I am honoured to be your grandchild

Darling Daddy

I remember almost all our treks to the bush

How I loved to trail you! Do you remember collecting me from basic school?

Do you remember how when I moved away for college you called me every

day? To this day I still squeeze beside you in the armchair.

I know you love me

And my sweet, beautiful, good Mummy

Thank you for carrying me on all your church trips so I could see the world

And for giving me lunch money, and for praying over me

And most importantly, for laughing with me.

How we laugh together!

I still hear your singing in my head, still see you walking through the gardens

I know you love me

I adore you

I adore you both

As you both adore each other

Stay with me as long as you both can

Has been a while since I’ve said all this?

It hasn’t

But

I wrote this poem to say.

– Teena Marie

I’ll be gone in the dark

Last night,

Daddy’s voice broke

the windows, broke peace.

Mother’s face

was a punch bag. More likely a

bruised grape.

Purple grape.

My body

was a welt farm.

Still a welt farm. And the mirror

gapes at the many I could market.

The brooding clock

hints multiple episodes.

But my suitcase stands

ready.

When night gathers

her skirts about her – I’ll

be gone in the dark.

-Rohan Facey