The Southern roots of y’all
makes music in my mouth’s map.
In the North I cuff the C hard for couplet
then soften it for child and chain.
When bookin’ I drop the g—
depending on the audience,
I find it again running. By ten
I knew when to let the W whistle
in whom but darken the room
for the D to fall asleep
in I un’t know nothin’ but the beauty
of when a double negative will do,
how to make this English buck
then soft shoe when I see you.
To celebrate National Poetry Month we are again presenting an April Celebration: 30 Poets/30 Presses (#ArmchairBookFair21), a feature we initiated last year to help promote new releases whose publicity opportunities were thwarted due to the pandemic. Please join us every day for new poetry from the presses that sustain us.
