Even the Saints Audition by Raych Jackson

Author:Raych Jackson [Jackson, Rachel “Raych”]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-943735-71-6
Publisher: Button Poetry
Published: 2019-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Church Girl’s first sinner friend

My mom thinks Natasha is a Good Black

because she lives in the tall orange houses

on 87th. What a conflicted color, orange.

Which came first, the color or the fruit?

Orange can’t pick a side, claims the good

parts of red & yellow. A hybrid. The Good Blacks

worked for everything they have. Natasha’s mom

reminds us we’re African-American in her home.

Black describes a thing not people. Which came first,

the object or the color? Orange can’t pick a side,

won’t claim the bad parts of red & yellow. Her

parents remind us the N-word is ten times worse

when we say it. Their reasons aren’t clear. They don’t

explain themselves to children. The next time,

my mom drives up the twists & turns smiling.

Her daughter made a friend who lives here. Her child

of God can learn much from another closed off girl.

My moms says new houses use the orange brick.

Asks if I’m wearing clean socks. A house

like that needs shoes off. I try to think of other

important orange things when our moms meet.

Cones in the street stop car accidents.

My first school was by the Orange Line,

they bused all the black people in.

I meet my first boyfriend with Natasha at Tuley Park.

We dated for three unsupervised hours. Ran around

with him until my lips were cold & grey. My boyfriend & I

broke up when when it’s time to walk back up

the hill. Natasha stops me from saying where

she lives. She grabs the paper from his hand

& lets the number swish to the ground like an abandoned

feather. At the end of the day, parts of the sunset are orange.

Natasha tells me I’m too friendly. Pulls out a five

for McDonalds she won’t share & says

we’re not like them. She pronounces

them like her mother. The outside world is full

of poor people. Can’t go kissing them all.

My mom expects a full report the ride home.

I explain my wholesome & wealthy fun.

Tell her the carpet is white in the basement. They have

a TV in the kitchen & both cars fit in their garage. I leave

out my first kiss. My mom wants to know when

I’m going over Natasha’s house again. She has school

tomorrow night, & the night after that. My mom gets

off work late & wants to drive straight to class.

Last night she fell asleep in all her clothes on the couch

& I tucked her in. I don’t answer her question & lean

my head against the window. I notice the dashes in the road.

They’re a bold orange & thrive separate.

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