For our children

I cannot pray for my son
without praying for myself
for my own fear
the fear I created for myself
the fear I inherited
from my grandmother
from her mother and hers and hers
all the way back to
wrinkled red clay gold blueblack
woman heard her boy was gone
without her permission

Mother Father God be a fence around my son
Sweet Lord rest Your hand on my head

The stories keep coming
one boy after another
one black boy after another

I am awake at night
one black boy missing
one black girl raped
one after another
after another

I believe You for our safety
I need to

I cannot complete this poem
without heavy for our children

I will not stop writing
or praying

Mother Father God be a fence around my son