devorah major
The poet of the day is devorah major.
Third Poet Laureate of San Francisco, winner of a Black Caucus of the American Library Association First Novelist Award for An Open Weave, and a winner of the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence for street smarts, spoken word performer, community activist, educator…the woman simply excels at being human and humane. Here she is, in her own voice
and in yours:the yes to life
by devorah major(‘97, ‘98, ‘01)
i did
ask to be born
when i was in that universal space
between where i had been and here
when i was riding on x star in y galaxy
on the plateau where birth
meets passing on
i know
i was one who pulsed
shone sang cajoled yelled
cried and pled yes
yes i want a tongue
yes i want to breathe
yes i want to dance
i want to be born
of course, i didn't know
what i was asking for
had no idea of hunger or pain
could not conceive of the word for despair
or the thought of utter aloneness
had yet to understand
how suffer and celebration
could sleep so close together
no i didn't know
but i begged and begged
until i got what i asked for
every tongue tip mouth full
feather touch soft belly
pitted crag
breezy, gravelly
moment
out of life
i wanted it then
i want it now
Copyright © devorah major.
