Second Place Winner, September 2001 InterBoard Poetry Competition

Poetry

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Poetry

InterBoard Poetry Competition

Second Place Winner, September 2001

HARLEM PSALM
Kemel Zaldívar
(Melic Review Roundtable)

Let us bless the shadowed minds
who've kept me fed & lit & swift.
Hustlers and shorties leapfrogging

Satan for a quick dip in forever's
fun stye. Nathan, subtle prince,
who blew back bullets with a clean

heave. Helen in white silk, teaching
my vision the cold visions of moon.
Osiris, underneath, suturing quilts

of frazzled hells so that dogs, worms,
birds, awake with saints in the belly!
Let us bless Carmen. Her magic dust

fanned the hot dreams; Myrtle, never
stooping, dancing for weeks to my
drowsy whispers; bless her babies,

Clem and Kip, soiling fat fingers in
Mommy's deep purse. Their love lives,
baffles your book. Damnit I choked

and they rushed tight hugs; I was
naked and they draped hot robes,
I was hot and they flapped long

towels; I was dead and they floured
my bones. I'll bless the hoodlums,
clockers, thieves, gave me shelter

when my brothers slammed doors;
the low-life, pretty sluts conjuring
sanctity from junkie sleep. In them,

I tremble holy and never blot. In them,
my blackest curse is washed in quick
fever, lit to a loud and lingering hymn.

Judge Joan Houlihan's comment: “Strong, well-crafted poem especially notable for its authority of voice and diction, originality of imagery and use of internal rhyme and alliteration. Nearly every line exhibits fresh, powerful imagery and the above-mentioned use of sound and alliteration is masterful (kept/fed, lit/swift, blew back bullets, awake/saints, hell/belly etc., etc., etc.). Controlled, sophisticated use of syntax and line breaks. Grabs the reader and keeps hold from first to last line.”