Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith

Don't Call Us Dead

Danez Smith

A powerful collection shaping raw emotions into fierce and jagged poetry which deals with being both gay and black in the USA. Though there is much about HIV/AIDS, prejudice and police brutality here there is also a lot of love and tenderness.

Extract

think: once, a white girl

was kidnapped & that's the Trojan War.

 

later, up the block, Troy got shot

& that was Tuesday, are we not worthy

 

of a city of ash? of 1,000 ships

launched because we are missed

 

i demand a war to bring the dead child back

 

i at least demand a song.    a head. 

Parallels
  • Please by Jericho Brown
  • Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell
  • The Selected Works of Audre Lord by Audre Lord
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Violence
Explicit sexual Content