senryu cluster

child's irritated crying, bus seats the color of my skin 

boss speaking: trademark monotone kills the plastic plants

kiss my clothes off, you ask no questions i tell no lies

bowl of honey roasted peanuts, crying babies on the bus

lovin' Stevie Nicks's voice, more dishes to wash tonight

blastin' Fleetwood Mac, did i ever play 'cartoon freeze tag'

im invisible—race relations have yet to be resolved 

Ellison's "Invisible Man," we bayou people are superstitious 

Akiko spoke of her breasts in tanka, what'll i put my senryu 

you love Rachmaninoff, smoking to my man, Jellyroll 

Black person's 'double consciousness,' is Du Bois's name French

livin' in a swing-state, the gerrymander must be a creature

tonight: acid reflux and Cat Stevens on repeat 

we watched "Columbo" episodes, tomorrow on a dead leaf's back

menthol on his breath, how high the moon a joke i say

rape was never fashionable, some men -- abominable

destitute since ignoring yemaya, boneless catfish for dinner 

*yemaya: African Goddess of creation and the sea in African cosmology and Orisha in Vodun 

'its ok to beg for love...' the idiocy of insecurity in her

'all Black men not criminal,' miseducation the birthright of many 

for every shooting, 'thoughts and prayer' still no action

bone spur: weary with humans being human

grossed out with tilapia, a burning sun in my salad

restless: on the wall samurai sword hangs crookedly

daughter's crying, husband returns home irritable preoccupied

tonight's miso soup tasteless, argument on the horizon

'bring me a candle' johnny's gone off to war

'bloodletting,' interesting word interesting concept quiet house