ONE FINE PHILADELPHIA MORNING
In a mansion on Walnut
our black heroine awakes.
Our black heroine awakes.
Knowing she’s alone, sleeps more.
Knowing she’s alone, ignores
the antique doorbell ringing
in a mansion on Walnut.
*
The antique doorbell ringing,
the downstairs phone’s eruptions,
the downstairs phone’s disruptions
do not disturb our heroine.
Our heroine is not perturbed.
Friendless in this new city–––
The antique doorbell ceases.
*
Friendless in this new city–––
The staircase sighs. A door creaks.
The staircase sighs. A door creaks.
Arthritic trick of the wind;
just the wind’s arthritic tricks?
Our heroine sighs “hello.”
Friendless in this new city–––
*
Our heroine rises, “Hello?”
Peers down the railing’s cascade.
Peering down the dark cascade:
sees the thief. She’s not alone!
Does the man see her? She’s stone!
His back to her, he tiptoes.
Our heroine stifles “Help”
*
His back to her, he tiptoes,
down, down with a small black case
Down, down with a small black case.
Dispatcher picks up. Whisper.
Dispatcher picks up. Whisper.
“Ma’am, speak up. I can’t hear you.”
“Ma’am, speak up. I can’t hear you.
Is the suspect a black male?”
His back to her, she tiptoes.
*
“Is the suspect a black male?”
dispatches old souls dusting,
old black souls dusting the rails–––
of her grad school studio.
In her grad school studio:
DuBois and Ellison march.
“Is the suspect a black male?”
*
DuBois and Ellison watch:
The phone. A cop’s loaded gun.
A cop’s loaded gun. Her phone…
“Yes, he’s black.” Her tears are black.
“Yes, he’s black.” Her tears are black.
Aren’t all our heroine’s brothers?
DuBois’s and Ellison’s march.
*
