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Poems by Salome Agbaroji
Poems by Salome Agbaroji
gentri is coming.
I’d hoped the sound had been the coming of Jesus, finally
So the painting of Black Messiah in Obinne’s art shop
Made more sense—Made more than cents, finally
Because this living is protest.
This is the heart of LA that beats and weeps all the same.
PRETTY.
Pretty
Shines like heirloom pearls.
Not like pretty glimmer of grills in teeth.
No, pretty like veneers and messy bun.
Not pretty like barrettes on little black girls
Or street tacos.
Or graffiti done by people far too talented for their circumstance.
Or broken glass.
Or the unironic musicality of barber shops.
Not like that sweet little
old lady with only six teeth
But still smiled at me anyway
Like I was her own granddaughter.