warm sugah cane
coming here going
gone-ing in the going-d
(for Jean Toomer)

gone on away going
to coming on away back from right here
de-juiced cane sugar de-juicing
treading with crippled longed legs here crippling
in the rhythmninged drouth
of watering brown eyes here watered on

grey mornings spoon dey moanings
in the autumned lap of this nooning
hypnotic caned breakings strolled strolling on
like’us knowing what it they knowd
running back to on away from right here

Copyright © 1998 Asili Ya Nadhiri