Sign language

For the man who jumped out in front of the woman with his
arm raised like a machete screaming Abomination! as she
walked the streets of San Francisco holding her lover’s hand
for the first time in public.

There is a woman who goes to sleep
every night wishing she had broken
your sternum reached up inside your
chest momentarily borrowing your
heart to hold before your screaming
face and with her other hand still
clutching her lover’s broke next into
her own sternum plucking next her
own heart dangling them both there
sterling silver sign language for you
tell me what is the difference.

In honor of National Poetry Month. the newest inductee to the League of Extraordinary Lesbians is award-winning poet, Nikky Finney.

Best known for her progressive poetry revolving around social justice and cultural preservation,  she received the National Book Award in Poetry (2011) for Head Off & Split.

Her carefully crafted acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, touching on race, reading and writing, has been hailed as one the most impactful ones of modern history (video below).

Nikky, you might not be a super lesbian but you are definitely something like it… your ability to convey intensely powerful sentiments that resonate with the reader much after the initial read is harrowing.

To see more of learn more about Nikky , you can visit her webpage. 

Do you know any SLSLs in your neck of the woods? Email me at kristi at the kword.com or tweet me@kristiweb.