this open mouth

we could be singing

a duet in a forgotten language

i look into your open mouth

and know

a duet in a forgotten language

remembered ancestral face

i know you

i have known you before

remembered ancestral face

tell me how i got here

i have known you before

what are the passkeys to this time

tell me how i got here

and who brought you

what are the passkeys to this time

what is this place

and who brought you

this open mouth

what is this place

come let us sing it

into life

(This poem is for my fabulous Aunt Lorraine, my grandmother’s sister, lover of all beautiful things and laughter, lifetime member of the NAACP and YWCA. Can you see her halo? Thank you Aunt Lorraine for teaching me to dance by living your life as an opening for joy. This is for everyone who is looking for the song right now, learning how to harmonize across distance and lifetimes. Love teaches us the frequency we need. )