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  • Issue 22 Fall 2021
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      • Sarah A. Rae Spring 2022
      • Brittney Corrigan Spring 2022
      • Callista Buchen Spring 2022
      • Issam Zineh Spring 2022
      • MICHAEL CHANG Spring 2022
      • henry 7. reneau, jr. Spring 2022
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    • Issue #23 Fiction Spring 2022 >
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Truth Thomas

Jacob’s Reflections After the Bout 

                                          
Space heater of volcanoes—mountaintop
no feather can peak, you are jasmine breath

of spring, breast of terra firma, wrapped in
cowry shells of clouds. You are torso of time

clearing thunder’s throat—lightening strikes
in cage fights of celestial arenas. Who am I

but dressed up dirt to wrestle you? What am I
but a tapped out hip—bankruptcy of tricks

slipping out of the ring to change.


What the Snake Whispered in Eve’s Ear 


Well now, looka hear Eve, your skin is soft as a silkworm’s belly.
Hasn’t anyone told you? And I mean, really, what has Adam done
for you lately—leaving you alone in the garden like this with hips
as wide as all creation? I wouldn’t, but that’ssss just me. And I

don’t mean no harm, but didn’t that first boy tell you you’re as fine
as Hummingbird’s feathers—fresh as dew collecting rainbows on
an orchid’s lips? Everyone in the garden can see it Sis—except
perhaps for you. I want you to. But ah, that’s right, that’s right—

the tree that lets you know your glow is off limitssss. That’s what
God said, didn’t he? I mean, that’s what I thought I heard him say
when he was lying to you about good and evil cuisine and all. Oh,
did I say “lying?” I mean when he was just “talking” to you about

the way he thinks you, and all other ribs, should live. My My My.
Now, how is anybody going to tell a goddess what she should or
shouldn’t eat—or who she shouldn’t kiss? Oops, did I ssssslip up
and tell the truth again—call you by your name? Goddess? My

Goddess? My serpent curious queen? Well now, listen hear Eve,
you know I would never be the one to come between an idol and
the Most High’s commands. Just let me introduce you to a little
nibble. I’m sure God will understand.

​

 

--
Truth Thomas is a singer, songwriter, and poet, born in Knoxville, Tennessee, raised in Washington, DC. He studied creative writing and music at Howard University, before earning his MFA in Poetry at New England College. He is formally writer-in-residence for the Howard County Poetry and Literary Society in Maryland. He is the author of three collections of poetry: Party of Black (Flipped Eye/Mouthmark Press, 2006), A Day of Presence (Flipped Eye Publishing, 2008), and Bottle of Life (Flipped Eye Publishing, 2010). His fourth book, Speak Water, is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2011. He serves on editorial boards of both the Tidal Basin Review, and the Little Patuxent Review. Some of his work has appeared in: Mythium Literary Journal, OVS Magazine, Pluck!, The Progressive, Quiddity Literary Journal, The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South (Cave Canem Anthology), and The 100 Best African American Poems (edited by Nikki Giovanni).

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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Masthead
  • Submit
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Submit Here
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Book Reviews
  • Previous Issues
  • Blog
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  • Issue 22 Fall 2021
    • Issue #22 Art Fall 2021 >
      • Bonnie Severien Fall 2021
      • Camilla Taylor Fall 2021
      • Guilherme Bergamini Fall 2021
      • Emanuela Iorga Fall 2021
    • Issue #22 Poetry Fall 2021 >
      • Maureen Alsop Fall 2021
      • Annah Browning Fall 2021
      • Romana Iorga Fall 2021
      • Natalie Hampton Fall 2021
      • Sherine Gilmour Fall 2021
      • Adam Day Fall 2021
      • Amanda Auchter Fall 2021
      • Adam Tavel Fall 2021
      • Sara Moore Fall 2021
      • Karen Rigby Fall 2021
      • Daniel Zhang Fall 2021
      • Erika Lutzner Fall 2021
      • Kindall Fredricks Fall 2021
      • Cin Salach Fall 2021
      • Andrew Zawacki Fall 2021
      • Micah Ruelle Fall 2021
      • Rachel Stempel Fall 2021
      • Haley Wooning Fall 2021
      • Rikki Santer Fall 2021
      • Evy Shen Fall 2021
      • Suzanne Frischkorn Fall 2021
      • Danielle Rose Fall 2021
      • Eric Burgoyne Fall 2021
      • John Cullen Fall 2021
      • Maureen Seaton Fall 2021
      • Hannah Stephens Fall 2021
    • Issue #22 Nonfiction Fall 2021 >
      • Kevin Grauke Fall 2021
      • Courtney Justus Fall 2021
      • Amy Nicholson Fall 2021
    • Issue #22 Fiction Fall 2021 >
      • Tina Jenkins Bell Fall 2021
      • David Obuchowski Fall 2021
      • Thomas Misuraca Fall 2021
      • Aiden Baker Fall 2021
      • Jenny Magnus Fall 2021
  • Issue 23 Spring 2022
    • Issue #23 Art Spring 2022 >
      • Jonathan Kvassay Spring 2022
      • Karyna McGlynn Spring 2022
      • Andrea Kowch Spring 2022
      • Layla Garcia-Torres Spring 2022
    • Issue #23 Poetry Spring 2022 >
      • Robin Gow Spring 2022
      • T.D. Walker Spring 2022
      • Jen Schalliol Huang Spring 2022
      • Yvonne Zipter Spring 2022
      • Carrie McGath Spring 2022
      • Lupita Eyde-Tucker Spring 2022
      • Susan L. Leary Spring 2022
      • Kate Sweeney Spring 2022
      • Rita Mookerjee Spring 2022
      • Erin Carlyle Spring 2022
      • Cori Bratty-Rudd Spring 2022
      • Jen Karetnick Spring 2022
      • Meghan Sterling Spring 2022
      • Lorelei Bacht Spring 2022
      • Michael Passafiume Spring 2022
      • Jeannine Hall Gailey Spring 2022
      • Phil Goldstein Spring 2022
      • Michael Mingo Spring 2022
      • Angie Macri Spring 2022
      • Martha Silano Spring 2022
      • Vismai Rao Spring 2022
      • Anna Laura Reeve Spring 2022
      • Jenny Irish Spring 2022
      • Marek Kulig Spring 2022
      • Jami Macarty Spring 2022
      • Sarah A. Rae Spring 2022
      • Brittney Corrigan Spring 2022
      • Callista Buchen Spring 2022
      • Issam Zineh Spring 2022
      • MICHAEL CHANG Spring 2022
      • henry 7. reneau, jr. Spring 2022
      • Leah Umansky Spring 2022
      • Cody Beck Spring 2022
      • Danyal Kim Spring 2022
      • Rachel DeWoskin Spring 2022
    • Issue #23 Fiction Spring 2022 >
      • Melissa Boberg Spring 2022
    • Issue #23 Nonfiction Spring 2022 >
      • Srinaath Perangur Spring 2022
      • Audrey T. Carroll Spring 2022