tribute for when i’m quiet
By Kara Jackson
quiet is a mouth i screw onto my mouth
quiet, a twin spinning my evil
quiet, a snake i hold without flinching
i treat my quiet like a pocket knife
quiet, a blade i sharpen and consider
ready my quiet for any jaw
quiet, a suspect i bring into questioning
quiet, a fire i use for cooking
quiet, this country i defend
quiet, a law i have written
quiet, so i am told by every man
who will surely kill me
quiet prayer in the mouth of all my victims
i am so quiet
mice make a simile out of me
Source: Poetry (March 2021)