what is it ‘bout the river that makes even spirits sing? we hear a laugh & don’t know if its ours or our momma’s; our sister’s or otherworld kin. what current of possibilities. we could splash, laugh, water-dance. hell, we could baptize somebody. wash the wet of us they said would stay dirty our whole lives. glory, we could become something old & new. anybody could meet us here. sister. self. ancestor or God. monster. our dresses haunt our legs while we wade in God’s eye & gene pool—looking just like who we came from. they water broke & that’s the last time we were this close to tasting the salt & mineral of heaven…or whatever you call the world where a tree be a conversation partner growing from self & sky. oh, anybody can meet us by the water—so we bring our sisters, our cousins n’em— our girlhood timeless & rippling ‘round our legs. O anything is possible in water’s memory. we could be ‘bout anything.
girls. grown. guile
& guiltless. gap-toothed & gliding gait. green.
gracious. gang of gods. grim-glory.
grief.
galaxy & gather ‘round. good ground.
glass & garment. & goodness-me.
& grace. gemstones. gift-giddy. & gospel. & got-damn. good news.
gravity. no gore though.
but yes, gumption, gall & gossip.
gardenias. garden of giggles . gate
to (un)governable.
we could be
a portal.
the river agrees.
______________
"Last Century, Last Week: Holy Will" by Ky Smiley. The photo was published in "Photo Vogue" and debuted at the exhibition "Thank God for BLOOD-MEMORY" curated by Ajanaé Dawkins. The poem is an ekphrastic poem in response to the photograph.
Image Description: "Last Century, Last Week: Holy Will" is a black-and-white photo of six young black girls in white dresses standing in a river. The photo has been double exposed to be both vertical and horizontal.
Added: Thursday, June 12, 2025 / Used with permission. This poem originally appeared in "BLOOD-FLEX," winner of the New Delta Review’s Chapbook prize.
Photo by Matthew Pitts.
Ajanaé Dawkins is a poet, conceptual artist, and theologian. She works through poetry, visual art, performance, and audio to explore the politics of faith, grief, and intimate relationships between Black women. As a theologian, she blends cultural criticism, memoir, and theology as autotheory to consider the relationship between Black church history, spirituality, and creation. Ajanaé’s work has appeared on PBS, Academy of American Poets, For Harriet, The Rumpus, Prairie Schooner, Indiana Review, and more. Her solo-exhibition, No One Teaches Us To Be Daughters, debuted at Urban Arts Space in 2024. Her chapbook, BLOOD-FLEX, won the New Delta Review’s Chapbook prize. Ajanaé is a fellow of Torch, The Watering Hole, and Pink Door. Ajanaé is currently a co-host of the VS Podcast with the Poetry Foundation.
Image Description: Ajanaé Dawkins has brown skin with curly afro textured hair. She wears a blue and white striped dress and red glasses. Behind her is a soft pink wall with a partially visible black-and-white photograph in a frame. Ajanaé's chin rests on her hand and she's looking directly at the camera.
