Apr '15 2
Ash, Rain, Clay and Smoke. Photo by Robert Rath from Robert's website.

Hello day two.

The title of today's poem is from a rather enigmatic essay I was reading today called 'The Laugh of the Medusa' by French feminist Hélène Cixous in 1976.


We are black and we are beautiful

like the barrel of a Beretta
like pudding: blood and bone
like a length of salted liquorice
like the slick-swoop of a crow

like your morning-kickstart coffee
like a Nazi’s polished boot
like a layer of tar for feathers
like your formal mourning suit

like the ink on first-love letters
like Roisín; mail; and mass
like a supermodel’s mascara
like a hole; a little dress

like a porcelain black cowry
like keys that tone a chord
like that mongrel on your shoulder
or your winning, ace-filled hand


Posted by Jennifer Liston

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5 Comments

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  1. Louise Nicholas says:

    *And like baa baa black sheep that kindergarten kids aren't supposed to sing about anymore! X

  2. J V Birch says:

    *And like golliwogs that they amazingly still sell here ! :0 Nice poem Jen x

  3. Jen says:

    *Yeah it's so OTT PC now, isn't it, Louise and Julie. The sheep didn't make it into the final cut of this one, Louise, but he was in the pre-mix! Thanks for the comments, ladies. xoxo

  4. rob walker says:

    *What's wrong with black sheep?

  5. Jen says:

    *Who knows, Rob?!

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