For The Deserter by Danez Smith

Audio for Danez Smith's poem "For The Deserter"
This poem was written by and belongs to Danez Smith
This is part of the Break-Up Series
Text Below


I hold you in the back of my mouth
when I pray. I cradle you on my tongue
and rock you back and forth
between the dear and the amen.

I ask God to bless your mouth
for the days you wouldn't talk to me.
I ask for miracles to fall into your palms
for those nights when you refused to hold me.

I pray for your shoes and socks
down to the treading. I pray
nothing but puddles of holy water
to wet the dirt of your path.
I pray short,
I want you to keep the air I didn't use,
I want you to breath more,
rush the wind under your skin,
let it whistle under scars and rashes
until every part of you feels pretty.
I will fast between full moons
until I am empty and skinny
so you may be fat bellied.

I pray for your dick,
may it live long and hard
and pronounce it's name between
legs and lips, let it sing the sound
of rain and darkness, all it has ever known.

I pray for your heart beat,
that punk concert in your chest
so filled with smoke that no one there can breathe
and I rocked out there for too long,
let those ashen lyrics blacken my teeth
as I ate up every love song you never meant.

I pray for your heart,
hope it's built it out of diamond,
wrapped in duck tape,
hope you're lungs augment into armed guards
to protect your heart from the shatter
that you brought onto mine.

I pray for your heart,
and the child that lives there
bouncing a ball against the walls,
I wish that little kid friends,
and peace, and jungles gyms,
and eyes that will never know
the salty dinner gone cold taste of tears.

I pray your cheeks defy gravity
and smile forever, I hope your grin
never knows the reality of a lover
that was never that into you.

I pray your hands will be held
by someone that makes you feel like Eden
on the inside. I hope they make your pores sing,
I want your skin to be a choir when they are near you
and let your hair dance itself tangled between their fingers
to the rhythm.

I pray for you
every night, your memory swinging
at the gate of my throat,
I have let you in too many times
to let you go now.

You are far away from me know ,
not in distance but in heart,
and I wish you the good things
while you play God and create
all this space between us.
May it heal you and love you
greater than me, may it give you life again

In Jesus' name I pray.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• My
• First
• Project

[fabmthomas]

i pray the muses continue to vist you and that you continue to grace our world with your words....

[shyra881]

Ugh I love this so much....

[bearysweet0711]

Danez... It's Netta. And this is hot. Your lines were just amazing. So proud of you. To know you. Yes.