living
The Flourishing of a
COMMUNITY
by T. Jenese Thompson
She prayed
Blessed be the community with a man
who supports a woman, who supports
a man with three daughters, two sons
times a million of a town.
“Make Granny a Cape so that I can
walk up in the church with my head
reared back.”
Oh how many versions of that cape
I’ve made since
for kings, princes and princesses
The family, that is all
to be concerned with the flourishing
of a soul, the flourishing of a community
What is a boss une artiste poétesse
without a brother
hollering, “Hold on, wait, What? ... Record?!”
- flown in from Hong Kong to NYC, opening night
Or a dad producing, so that she can
have a voice, while her sister
coordinates a system to connect worldwide
working the calculator mad!
And even the babies knew
how to pack a box while capering about.
“Keep it Moving ...Talk and Tape,” sister said.
My aunties are so sweet, reminding
me, “Well now, it ain’t like you ain’t done nothing.”
But their eyes are going, telling me
I look twenty-five, “... and it’s a good thing
‘cause you have a lot more to do.”
And I do
The family, that is all
to be concerned with the flourishing
of a soul, the flourishing of a community
16 iF Magazine | January 2019