(Inspired by Beloved & Sula by Toni Morrison)

Me.
washed & burned,
pulverized.
Me eroded, crushed Me. fine speck Me,
dust powder Me. caked up, slathered Me.
browned with love. Me. Best Me
I was best Me. Mine Me. Me.
I’m Mine Me.
Me.
I was. Am. I will. Was. Never was.
Me.
I, nightshade: call me
the black souled pit, the purple-blue-black
cored star, the shriveled fleshed
stone. call me nightshade, call me poison.
I was. Am. Poison.
I was. Am. Always will be poison.
take. take. her. swallow her.
she that blackberry woman.
she that pulpy mess woman.
she that clunky chunk of shine that feeds you.
she feeds you. I was. Am. Never
will be the one that feeds you.
no nourishment here, unless to kill.
we two of the same, she
and I. but I’m me. I’m her. We the same.
I’m Mine Me.
Me.
We the same. We lingering. We falling apart.
We watching each other. We missing each other.
We the same me. Me. The same. We. I.
we that same berry, that black-black sweetness,
that juice squirt to tongue, that full belly of berries,
I that same richness, that same chunk of soul.
she that same evil. that same blackness.
we black. we black. we poison food. we feed
each other. we poison each other. we full of
each other’s poison food.
I’m Mine Me.
Me.