NYU Black Renaissance Noire NYU Black Renaissance Noire Vol 17.2: Fall 2017 | Page 14

poetry
By Sandra
Cisneros
Creed In Lieu of Liquor I Write Poems
I believe I am God.
And you are too.
And each and everyone.
But only for a little. In lieu of liquor.
Poems.
I believe God is
Love and love is God.
And although some
Doubt God’s existence,
No one doubts the existence of love,
Even and especially those who have
Never met love.
I believe we are
Capable of atrocities beyond
Imagination and equally
Capable of extraordinary
God-acts as well.
I believe
There is enough misery
In the world, but also
Humanity — just a bit
More, I believe.
I believe in the power
Of a thought, a word,
To change the world.
I believe there is no greater
Sorrow than that of a mother
Who has lost her child.
I believe in las madres,
Las madres de las madres,
Y la santísima madre,
La diosa Guadalupe.
Instead of words like shrapnel.
Chant.
Rose petals in a clear bowl.
Sleep.
Instead of waiting for the phone to ring,
Sing.
Bring to the bath fresh flowers.
Soak.
Wash face with water
Instead of grief.
Paint lips.
Shoes.
Juice.
Sushi.
Kohl.
Silk.
Book.
Choose.
Alone, not lonely.
Home, not homely.
Bliss.
Homily.
In lieu of Chernobyl,
This.
I believe what the generals need now
Are the abuelita brigades armed with
Chanclas to shame, swat, and spank
Los meros machos del mundo.
Amen.
I believe mothers and grandmothers
Are the solution to violence,
Not only in Mexico/the United States,
But across the globe.
Because the universe is large enough
To encompass contradictions,
I believe these same mothers sometimes
Create monsters — los machos.