POEM #2

by Catrice Greer 

If i am little

and they are big, how big is my voice, if i scream

will they hear me, now? or only when I get big, bigger, biggest?

If they don’t hear my mommy, my daddy, will I be soundless too?

I see their backs, sandwiched

in. I feel safe, inside the belly of screaming.

i feel safe, and i wonder if i am little,

How big is my voice if i stretch open my mouth,

if i spread my wings big and wide,

how far, how high will i fly?

Can i touch the sun from here?

It always seems so close.

How tall is tall? How loud is loud?

how strong is strong? what is power?

Is it sunshine?

like how it burns on a hot day but warms on a cold one?

Grows flowers, burns skin, makes shadows over hard edges.

If i think hard enough, can i be a free bird

shot-putting myself from here to the sun

can i touch it if i try. I think, yes,

i can fly! I can do anything.

If I concentrate, I can ride the fury of their voices

and soar blind into the yellow waiting for me to unfurl

Black & gold my wings, rocket upward, soar one-armed, powerful

ready to free the world!

I am BIG

bigger than I ever thought

Look at me

Fly!