A Map You Cannot Refold by Danielle Shontae Smith

Author:Danielle Shontae Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Danielle Shontae Smith

Tell me why a comment such as this requires me to define miscegenation for you. (Why do I have to define miscegenation for you? Why is there such a long word for this?)

Tell me why I have to explain the importance of this car ride to you:

Because we are not Mildred and Richard Loving.

Because we do not know those old Virginia roads.

Because this is not 1958 when my fingers in your palm

would be ignored as affection and called a felony.

Because the police car that had been trailing us

veered off on another road and left us alone.

Because we can drive to your family’s cottage,

I can meet your family this Thanksgiving,

bring pomegranate wine, offer it to the table.

IV. ANECDOTE

It is vegetable stir fry with red asparagus, mashed potatoes with vegan mushroom gravy, pesto tortellini, jellied cranberries, and pumpkin pie: This is what I push around on my plate as your grandfather asks me to help him recall the word with the “s” sound that the Blacks have a problem saying.

I know the word, but I won’t offer it. As he searches his mind, I say it to myself silently, over and over, wanting to

ask for my nana’s collard greens

ask for my mama’s candied yams

ask for baked macaroni and cheese

ask for thick slices of cranberry sauce

ask for my father’s bourbon pecan pie

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.