Root Work Journal - Navigating the Ocean - Volume 1, Issue 2
Distilled
Joshua Merchant
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.47106/4rwj.12.10191931.11629213
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Native of East Oakland. Black. Queer. Has had the privilege to be published as a finalist for the June Jordan Poetry Prize anthology ‘In These Streets’ as well as the literary journal Eleven Eleven.
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a lot of us are in need. a lot of us are sick and dont know it or don't want to know. a lot of us want to help ourselves and each other but don't know how to.
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Distilled
a boy walks home alone at night
carrying a 12 pack of water.
in the south, at this hour
he is one of the few walking.
and cars drive by. one of them honks
who’s to say it’s not at him.
a girl drives home alone at night.
blunt in hand. half a liter of water
on the passenger side. who’s
to say what's healthier for her -
sedation or hydration. and the boys
wait at the bus stop. who’s to say
the wheels on her car aren’t records
she refuses to scratch.
a man is home alone at night
a bottle of hawain punch
in the fridge. he’s praying
to god. who’s to say he isn’t
one on his knees in remembrance
of his name. his tears aren’t red
nor sweet and the water
from the tap is questionable.
a woman is home at night.
can only swallow if thickener
is placed in her water. who’s
to say she should still be here
swallowing what feels like syrup
in a crowded hall of wheel chairs
and dateline tv. a man is telling
a boy that his views on water
are dated. that the government
puts things we don’t want into
things we need. the boy tells
the man the government can
also make your water brown
and charge you for the bill.
the boy then turns to the girl
asking to hit the blunt. the
girl replies why are we always
so thirsty. the boy says
you right. lemme get a swig.
she says that’s not for you
and drives away to visit
her mother. the woman
who’s raising her hand
to grab her cup is being
told to slow down with
the liquor cuz it’s not
going anywhere. noone
wants to say that she might.
until a girl walks in
with half a liter water
and says here ma. drink
this instead.
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