Time Speaks by Danez Smith

GRIEF IS HOW YOU BUILD ME AN ALTAR. LOVE, MY AMBROSIA

Time Speaks
by Danez Smith

CAME IN THIS BITCH ON BUCK’S BACK, ARMED, ARMS SAWED OFF
INTO BELLS, BULLY LIKE THE SPRING’S FIRST WEED, A RAISED FINGER

CHIPPED GREEN POLISH, TELLING WINTER TO WRAP IT UP, HEAR ME
I CAME IN SINGING, THE COSMOS SUMMONED BY MY RUNS

SPACE, LAND, ALL MATTER OF MATTER, MY STEADS, I RIDE EVERYTHING
FUCK YOU THINK THE WIND IS? THAT’S MY BLOOD GRACING THEM TREES,

YOUR FACE, YOUR WORLD TURNS AND YOU KNOW ME. DEATH?
GRIEF IS HOW YOU BUILD ME AN ALTAR. LOVE, MY AMBROSIA. 

EVEN BOREDOM IS MY GOLD. THERE ARE RICHES ONLY I HAVE
THE LANGUAGE FOR: HOW IT FELT TO WATCH THAT FIRST FISH CRAWL,

A STAR’S LAST BLINK, PANGEA’S RIVERS BECOMING OCEANS.
YOU COULDN’T LAST THE PACE OF MY MEMORY. I HAVE

FLASHBACKS LONGER THAN YOUR WHOLE LIFE. AND YOU 
WANNA TALK TO ME? YOU COCKY, BRIEF ANT. I WAS

BEFORE YOUR GOD WAS. THE OLDEST IS IS MINE.
I SEE YOU FIENDIN, WANT ME TO BE YOUR MASTER? LINE 

UP. I PULLED UP IN SOMETHING EXTRA, THE DOOR GOT DOORS. 
AIN’T NO OUTSIDE ME. NOTHING OUTSIDE MY TAME, THE WHIP 

FITS ALL. OK SO I AIN’T PULL UP, YOU ARRIVED UP IN ME, TROD ME 
LIKE BACTERIA IN THE GUT, I WAS THE ROAD, THE WORLD, THE LAW, 

MY ONLY COMMAND IS MOTION. EVERYTHING YOU CONSIDER STILL 
BOWS & CRAWLS UNDER MY EYE, MY GUY. I SEE THE END 

OF EVERY MAYBE, YOU KEEP ASKING ME TO BE YOUR GOD BUT
I’M ONLY YOUR WITNESS. I DON’T TESTIFY, I SEE. REASON FLEES IN ME. 

MY LIMIT DON’T EXIST. I’M THE MEANEST GIRL. THE QUEEN &
HER BOOK, I SHE. I WRITE ALL. ALL IS WRITTEN IN ME. I OWN

EVERY TURN, YOU LEARN EVERYTHING YOU KNOW AND FORGET
IN THE LENGTH OF MY SIGH. YOUR GENERATIONS MY FLEETING

HEADACHE, MY FOOTSTEP IN THE SAND.  THERE IS NOTHING
AHEAD OF ME. YOUR PAST? MY SILK TRAIN. YOUR PRESENT?

MY SKIN. YOUR FUTURE? THE PATH CLEARED AT THE TIP OF MY NOSE.
AND WHERE I GO, EVERYTHING GOES. PSHHH. Y’ALL SOME LOYAL HOES.

★ Read our interview with Danez Smith on Sharing Body and Soul and the Time in Between ★