(Wendy Cabell, June 20, 2021, Pentecost (image above) in Orthodox Church. Feast day of the Directress Icon of the Mother of God from the Monastery of Xenophontos, of Saint Edburga Virgin of Caistor (whose sister was wife of Saint Albert), and of Blessed Margareta Ebner. Image from here.)
By Hand
(after Lucille Cliffton's Slaveships)
Can the tongue speak? If it does, can I
trust it? Which is deeper then, history or
poetry? Journal or
legend?
Can the tongue speak? If not, the body
will. Be it spasm, sigh or song. Can I trust
it? Which is deeper then, the word or the
flow?
Can the tongue speak? Inner man's tongue is
tied, fatigued by screen. Can I trust it? Which
is deeper then, the knowing or the
showing?
Can the tongue speak? Mine, yours. Back
and forth. Voicing, listening. What I want to
do is trust this. Deepest ground, passing
down, hand to
hand.
*From prompt: freewrite as inspired by Lucille Cliffton's Slaveships, whose line "Can the tongue speak" is used above; from Lisa Freedman's Breathe/Read/Write, June 20, 2021.
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