After Richard Wright’s Haiku #1
what, I
know, about who I am:
nothing is forgettable, nobody
told me how a
body isn’t yours, until it's spilling red—
like the sharp edge of an anchor sinking
into you. an autumn
night sweat turns into the sun
you felt like pain and it took
nothing to want you, my—
I was willing to cave. I called your name
then watched you turn away.
ARNISHA ROYSTON is a poet from Los Angeles. She holds a BA in Literature from UCLA and is currently completing an MFA at San Diego State University. Arnisha aims to extend the understanding of poetry and its relationship to the African American community through her experience as a writer. Arnisha’s poetry can be found in literary journals such as, the Los Angeles Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Phoebe, to name a few.