Take Three Strands To Make A Beach Out Of Sand Imani Diltz Poem by Jay Ward

YOU EVER GONE TO A WOMAN'S APARTMENT IN THE PROJECTSWITHYOUR GRANDMA TO GET YOUR HAIRBRAIDED EARLY ON AWEEKEND

AND THEWOMANOPENS THEDOORIN ATANK TOP SOME LEGGINGS HER HAND ON HER HIP THE SINGLESBRAIDS TO HER BUTT ARE SKINNY AS HERSTOMACH AND THIGHS ARENT AND HER NAME IS KEISHAAND HERHANDSAREHARDWITHKNUCKLEDIMPLESANDHERHOUSE SMELLS LIKE BACONGREASE ANDAUNTJEMIMASYRUPTHEHOUSE HAS LINOLEUM FLOORS EVERYWHERE ANDYOU ASK HER WHERE YOU SHOULD SIT WITH THE TWO GIANT PLASTIC BAGS WITH 6 ORMAYBE 8PACKSOFJUMBORASTAFARI KINKY STRAIGHT 1BHAIR ARATTAIL COMB SOMECONDITIONERSOMEGELAND ABRUSH SHETELLSYOUTO PUT THE BAGANDYOURSELF ONTHE FLOORAND PLOPSA PILLOWBETWEEN HERFEET ANDSUDDENLYYOURE SITTING BETWEENTHE WARM THIGHS OF AWOMAN YOUVE NEVER MET AND SHE FEELSLIKE YOURMOTHER IN THIS MOMENT

EVENTHOUGH THEYRENOTHINGALIKEAND YOUR MOTHERSNAME

ISLELIANOTKEISHA AND CANTBRAIDHAIR





THEFURNITURE INKEISHA'S LOOKS LIKE YOURCOUSIN'S IN SANJOSE AND ACTUALLY A LOT OF THE BLACK PEOPLE YOU KNOW HER COUCH IS SOMETYPEOF SUPPOSEDTO SEEMLIKE VELVETWITHSHINY BLACK SCROLLING LEGS AND THE TABLE IS GLASS ON METAL WELDED CURVED LOOKINGPIPESAND YOU THINKOFSUMMERFIGHTINGWITH YOUR COUSINSANDWHEN HE BROKE THESAMETABLE

KEISHA OPENS A PACK OFHAIR LIKEA FIRSTCHAIR VIOLINIST UNSHEATHINGTHEIR INSTRUMENT ANDYOU THINK MAYBE IN ANOTHERLIFESHE COULDVEBEENSOMETYPEOFARTISTIF ONLY

BLACK WOMEN WERE

DA VINCI OR

PICASSO OR

BASQUIAT

AND NOT

RIPPED

OFF



INSTEAD

SHESPREADS HERARMSAND STRETCHES THEHAIR ANDTHE SYNTHETICFIBERSSTRETCHING SOUNDSLIKE SOME SOFTBUBBLE WRAP SYMPHONY AND SHE ASKS HOW LONG YOU WANT YOUR BRAIDS AND YOU POINT TO A PLACE DOWN YOUR BACK AND SHE SAYS WE GON BE HERE FOR A WHILELIKE WEHAVEBEEN BEFORETHIS WASABOUT

BRAIDINGANDYOU ASKFORANOTHERPILLOWASSHE FREES YOUR

HAIR SHE SCRATCHES YOUR SCALP WITH HER ACRYLICS AND YOU THINK OF HERASYOUR MOTHERAGAIN







SHE TELLS YOU LIKE EVERYONEELSE WHOS EVERHADTHEIR

HANDS IN YOUR HEADTHAT YOUR HAIRIS SOTHICKAND SHESIGHS

LIKE WHOOOOOO YOUR HAIR IS SO THICK AND YOUNEVER KNOW IFTHIS IS ANINSULT



KEISHAPARTSYOURHAIRWITH THENEW COMB AND IT HURTSAND YOUR NECK FEELS LIKE BRICKS AND ITS HARD LOOK AT YOUR PHONE OR AT ANYTHING OTHER THAN YOUR OWN BREASTS AND YOU FALL ASLEEP ANDWAKEUPSOME ROWSLATERWITH AKINK AND KEISHAAND YOURGRANDMALAUGHINGUGLY GOSSIPINGANDYOUHEAR YOUR GRANDMACUSSAND WONDERHOWYOURGRANDMA WHO PICKED UP EVERYTHING WHEN SHE WAS 17AND FLEDFROMHER MOM WHO SHOTHER WITHHER TONGUEAT POINTBLANK FORFUN, MOVED TO CHICAGOANDNEVER LOOKEDBACKAND WAS ASEAMSTRESS WHO WAS COURTED AFTERWITH HER OWN KITCHENETTE AND FELL IN LOVE ORCOMFORT OR JUSTSETTLED AND LETSOMEONELOVEHERAND GOTPREGNANT AND PICKED UPEVERYTHINGAND MOVED TO CALIFORNIAANDNEVERLOOKEDBACKWITHABOYWHOISYOUR FATHERWHOWASSO WILDANDTREATS HERLIKE DIRT AND SPITS SHELLSMAKINGALL HERHOMESGUNRANGE HOW A WOMAN WHO PICKEDEVERYTHINGUPWITHHEROWNHANDSAND SHETHREW HERSELF WITHOUT FEAR FAR ENOUGH TO BREATHE HOW COULD TURN INTO A WOMANWHO ONLY WEARSCOLLARSHIRTS AND SWEATSUITS



YOU WONDER IF YOU ARE COLLAR SHIRTS AND SWEATSUITS OR WILL BE

SOMEDAY



KEISHASAYSTURNYOURHEAD ANDFINISHESTELLING MEMAHOW HER SON IS JUST SO SMART BUT ISFAILING ALL CLASSES BUT FOOTBALL JUSTGOT INTOANOTHERFIGHT ANDTHATHISDUMBASS IS GONNA GET EXPELLEDANDWHATWOULD SHEDOWHATWOULDSHEDO WHATWOULDSHEDO ANDMEMA SAYSGIIIIRRRLLLLORDYLORDY



I DON'T KNOW AND KEISHASAYSTURNYOURHEAD

WHEN YOU GOTOTHEBATHROOMWITHA3/4TH DONEHEAD YOU FLIP ALLTHAT WILLAND DANCE ALITTLEIN THEMIRROR YOUR BACK FEELS LIKE CEMENT YOUR NECK FEELSLIKE CEMENT AND YOUR BUTT A SIDEWALKFROMALL THATSITTING



WHEN YOUGETBACK TO THELIVING ROOM KEISHASTILLDONESNT KNOW WHATSHES GONNADOABOUTSOMETHINGELSE NOW AND AFTER HOWEVER MANY EPISODES OF DIVORCECOURTLATERSHE CLAPSHERHANDSMASSAGES HERFINGERSCRACKS HERDIMPLE KNUCKLES ANDSAYS ALL DONE AND MEMA SAYS SOOKIE SOOKIE NOW CHILD IJUST DONTKNOWHOWYOUSITTHATLONGWITHYOUR HANDS INSOMEONESHEAD ANDKEISHA SAYSCUZ ITPAYS THE BILLS

AND THEYBOTH LAUGHAND KEISHA GOES OVERTO THE STOVETO

BOILSOME WATER AND ASKS IF YOU WANT THEM CRIMPED TO WHICH

YOU SAY YES BECAUSE ITS2010 ANDTHEWATERBOILS OVERON THE WHITE GASSTOVEAND KEISHA POURSIT INTO APITCHERAND ADDS SOMEGELANDOIL ANDRAISESHERARMS AGAIN LIKE

DA VINCI OR

PICASSO OR

BASQUIAT

AND MAKES MASTERPIECE AGAIN TAKES SECTIONS OFYOUR HAIR THROUGHTHE WALLOF STEAMTOBAPTIZEIN THEBOILINGBROTH



ASYOU GATHERYOURTHINGS GRANDMA PAYS KEISHAIN ALL20'S

AND WHITE STEAMINGWATERDRIPSFROMTHE ENDS OF YOUR HAIR

TO THEFLOORTELLINGTHEWORLDEVERYWHEREYOU CAME FROM



AND YOU THINK THAT AFTERSPENDING8 HOURSBETWEEN THE THIGHS OF AWOMAN WHO DOESNT KNOW WHAT SHES GOING TO DO SHOULDMEANTHATYOU HUG HERANDSHE KISSES YOUONTHE CHEEKLIKEANAUNTIEBUT ITDOESNT IT JUST MEANSYOURE BLACK SOYOU SAYBYE ANDTHANK YOUTO KEISHA AND MEMA SAYS THANK YOUANDGOODLUCKWITH EVERYTHINGKEISHASAYS OHI KNOWITS GONWORK OUT AND YOU LEAVE THE THIGHS THE WOMAN AND HER LINOLEUM FLOORS BEHIND