Resting Place

by Erika DeShay
Once upon a time, I was a Black 
woman who had no fear.
I walked in giant strides and
stepped on all the cracks and never
worried about anyone’s back.

But that time is in the future,
in a world uncreated.
I can’t see it, but I can feel it:
in a head nod to another Black
body on the street, in the fleck
of gold in a Black woman’s locs.

Once upon a time, Time didn’t
matter. It was constructed out of
paper and broken pencils and 
no one knew how to stop it.

Once upon this time, I am a Black
woman who lives with enough
fear to motivate me to break 
every wall I see and burn
down Time so that I can finally
find some rest. Once upon this time,
I am free.

About the author

Erika DeShay is an English teacher and lover of words living in Denver, Colorado. She has been writing poetry since she could formulate sounds. Her poem, “Black Lives Matter,” can be found in Spoken Black Girl magazine. When she’s not writing or grading essays, she’s baking her love into pies. Erika DeShay’s poetry explores how Blackness affects every aspect of her being and how she views the world.

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