Black girl, brown girl, white girl…  

A tattoo of rain on the window pane

A military drum, fitting in its way

You wouldn’t recognize me, Oakland

Brass buttons and polished boots

The eyes of a soldier

Cold and hard

No longer the naked warrior, spear held high

Face painted bright

Challenging the heavens

Full of laughter and love.

Last night I watched you burn

Fists clenched in anger

Defiant

Flames of passion curling around you

Like my arms used to

And I wondered

If you would recognize me now

Hoping that you would lie to me

And pretend that nothing had changed between us.

I still remember those summers

Your cock glistening with my lust, ebony sheathed in pink

Drenched in sweat

A better memory, less bitter than the one I hold now

Black girl, brown girl, white girl

It makes no difference

As we tell our stories in the dark…

Oh, Oakland

I long to feel your night around me

To feel safe in your arms

The sound of fear drowned

by the beating of hearts pressed together

And breathless gasps as we fuck

Feeling you stiffen within me

As I cock my gun

And go to war.