Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth by Alice Walker Page B

there
In the blue sea
The crisp
White boat
Listing, lost
For all the world
To see.
    We drift
Aimless
Just
Like you
Wondering
If toys is all
There is
To this game
Still wondering
As you seem
To
With all your
Toys
When will our ship
Come in.

Poem for Aneta Chapman on Her 33rd Birthday
    It’s you
Who taught her
To read
She says
With soft eyes
Telling me
One
Of the many reasons
She cherishes
You.
    Following her gaze
Into the past
I see two
Small
Sweet
Dark hands
Clasped
Two hooded
Tiny heads
Four
Ashy little
Legs
Bravely crossing
The wintry
Streets
Of Cleveland, Ohio
Destination:
Library.
    You pause
At every corner
The littler hand
Secure
In your scarcely
Larger one.
    Be careful
You say
With gentle
Emphasis.
We must wait
For the green light.
    Aries
Holding on
To Cancer:
The one who
Leaps upon the world
Held safe
By
The one
Who
Stays home
To mind
The hearth.
    Today
It is
Still
Your warm
Sure hand
She trusts
Your shy smile
That makes
Her happy
Your face
In the largest
Room
That
Makes her
Feel safe
Not alone.
    You are the sister
The big
Sister
As hero.
    The one who sees
The one who listens
The one who guides
Teaches
& protects.
    The one who
Sacrifices
The one whose
Sure reward
Is love.
Dear Aneta,
The world
Of women
Would be
Hopeless
Without sisters
Like you.
    We would go
Hungry
We would be
Empty
We would be
Cold
Shaky on our
Small, unsure legs
Without
Big sisters
Like you.
    Your presence
In our
World
Is like
The sun
Warming us.
    Like the
Blossoming trees
Feeding us
With the beauty
Of your willingness
To endure
To love us
Unconditionally
To give.
    And so
On this day
That you
Reach the age
When mystics
& revolutionaries
Strike out
Into the
Wilderness
To begin
Their
Ministries
To a broken
World
& wise women
Quietly support
& champion
The beloved spirits
In their midsts
I salute
You
With love
& appreciation.
    Thank you
For
Your patient
Loving
Heart
Your loyalty
& true
Devotion
To a little
Sister
Who needs
It
As she brings
Into being
Music
That honors
& uplifts
Life.
    You are
The sister
Of all our dreams
Of sisterhood.
    May all
Your years
Reflect
The loveliness
& magnitude
Of your
Great
Heart.

The Same as Gold
    Now that I
Understand
That grief
Emotionally speaking
Is the same
As gold
I do not despair
That we are
All of us
Born to grieve.
    There was a
Small dark
Girl
In my dream
The other night;
She had been
Left with me
By strange women
On their way
Somewhere
Else.
    Taking her into
My arms
Into my house
Which had no roof
My tears
Covered us
Like rain.

My Friend Calls

My Friend Calls
    My friend
Calls
From her front porch
That overlooks
The ocean.
She is sitting
In her sky
Chair
Her feet
Up
Watching
The world
Go by.
    How I love
The joy
Ringing
In her voice
The satisfaction
I feel
In her smile.
    She calls
Because
Gospel music
Is on the air
Where she
Lives
Angels
Are on her mind.

Coming Back from Seeing Your People
    Coming back
From seeing your people
You were
So wonderfully
Full
Of yourself.
    But now
You have supped
With vampires
They have fed
Feasted
On you.
    They arise
Bright-eyed
Fit.
    You alone have lost
Not only
Your sleep
But also
Your glow
The luster of
Affection
Heart welcome
Your people
Sent home
With you.
    Beloved
You must learn
To walk alone
To hold
The precious
Silence
To bring home
And keep the precious
Little
That is left
Of yourself.

Someone I Barely Know
    Someone I barely know
Except he used to
Make me smile
Slipped another woman
& her odd furniture
Into my house.
    It was roomy enough
For two
& she was vaguely
Familiar.
    Still, she was not a tenant
I chose myself
& her dining room
Table & chairs
Though a rich blue
I like
Had the look
Of gouged plastic &
Tarnished chrome.
    The man I barely know
Who used to be so tickling
But now walks
Without the old spring in his
Step
Was looking for
Important papers.
Of course I did not know
Where they were.
    While we searched
& I pretended to care
 (Though distracted by the almost familiar
Woman & her misplaced chest of drawers)
He mentioned his old friend
Steve
Who had