She Said She Looked Forward To Meeting Me, However
(for Patricia Smith after reading her Coltrane love poem for some fortunate fellow named Bruce)
we met when you sent this poem to me / wasn't written for me / but / there it was / in front of me / quivering / just a tease of vibrato / a tremble / like the flesh does / in memory / of really being moved / yes / like that / and to imagine / we'd never touched / never breathed the same room air / just shared a strange love / (well not so strange, really / cause we are from the same / universe / which is different / from the dirt these earthlings cling to) / we are from / the region of music / where / as prez so presciently noted / there is no noise / only melody / & rhythm / all the rhythm we can use / i salute you / sista / we've met / just ain't never touched / before / on this plane / but obviously / in the world / from which we both came / we must have been / at least close cousins / if not twins / or lovers
—kalamu ya salaam