Where Something Has Been
by Danielle DeTiberus
These branches bear stories that cannot be
erased Because mosquitoes
made a blood meal of the pale folks who
disappeared during And
the language still sounded like
Because every woman
in the family was And still kept
singing songs of Because somewhere
down the line my people stole
someone else鈥檚 people I鈥檒l never
know who or where but
I know Feel it flush through me
like a hot pepper Watered face
and heat Because I鈥檓 a damned
Yankee and thought it was
a Southern problem Charleston
Port of Only city
left
standing after Bowl of okra and black-
eyed peas from Brick laid iron
forged cobblestones set by
Because the blossoming whorl
of magnolias and time absolve
and a plantation of its
Because even a tree knows
what to do with rot Builds a ring
between it and So that
what threatens harm might might be