Like Mother Like Daughter

I once believed my mama was a magician,

Swallowing marbles like she swallowed the sun

Head back, water to force it down.

She wore the Night's sky like a magician's cape

Incredible, her magic

How she could make the clocks

Forget how to tell time,

So Night would get confused

And stay by her side.

Her bedroom was always so dark;

A black hole in the middle of

Our cookie-cutter house.

When I walked by,

All that could be seen were

Six cat eyes blinking in the dark

Like synchronized fireflies.

I rarely ventured into her room

For fear, I'd disintegrate

Into another pair of floating eyes.

On church on Sunday,

I watch mama take communion

Like she took her happy potions,

Head back, wine to force it down.

When I asked mama

Why she likes to make everything

So black

She said ask Him

So I wrote a letter

Asking God to make it bright

I signed it

Yours Truly

And waited for the

Light

On a dark afternoon,

My letter returned;

Black ink poisoning pure white paper:

RETURN TO SENDER.

Now, I understand why mama likes it dark.

Sometimes I trick the clocks too.

Flirt with dark, get him to stay a little longer.

Pull the Night's sky over me like armor.

Swallow tears like I swallow my faith

Head back, water to force it down.