Up My Spine

Mr. Africa Poetry Lounge!

I see the old dry-head woman
leaning on her hoe
twist-up and shaky like a cripple-insect

I see her ravaged skin
the stripes of mould where the whip fall -
hard

I see her missing toe
her jut-out hipbone
from way back time when she had a fall

I see the old dry-head woman
leaning on her hoe
twist-up and shaky like a cripple-insect -

I see the pit of her eye
I hear her rattle bone laugh
putting a chill up my spine

Written by Grace Nichols

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