I am the self-constructed skyscraper oddly placed in a small town

I am the wrecking ball that crashed into the building’s sides and tore it down

I am the steeple that replaced the skyscraper and

I am the sinners that sneak past the church with their heads down

I am the footprint of high-heeled shoes in country soil

I am the dollar bill that paid the poor man to shine the shoe

I am the poor man that smiles more than the rich man in the business suit

I am the tailor’s needle and thread and his daily bread

But I am not the corporation that put him out of business

Oh No—

That is not me.

 

I am the water that poisoned the child, the water that fell from a mother’s eyes

I am the water that wiped blood from wrist, the water that drowned boat and ship

I am the water that nourished the seed and the same water that swallowed New Orleans and

I am the fire that ignited the burning bush, same fire that swallowed Colorado

I am the dirt road leading to grandparents’ home that you used to ride your bike on

I am the sand that gets stuck between your toes when you walk the shore alone

I am the air that filled the lungs of  Malcolm X in his last breath

I am your first breath, the first time you inhaled the world into you

But I am not the flame that used up all the oxygen

Oh No—

That is not me.

 

I am the slave ship, the cracked whip,  the switch in my mother’s hips

I am the bent knee, the desperate plea, the roots of the Knowledge Tree

I am the lover’s tongue, the stranger’s tongue, the pastor’s speaking in tongues and

I am the silence that came after it was all over

I am the birth of somebody’s saving grace and the reminder of somebody’s mistake

I am the chill of death,  the frozen scythe that collected condensation when it met the heat of passion

I am the tick of the addict and the greasy digits of the dealer, the same fingers that come together when saying prayers

I am the fountain pen that signed the love letters, the bounced checks, and the execution warrants

But I am not the ink that spilled onto the pages

Oh No—

That is not me.