Thank you Anissia for the poem
Building An Altar For El Dia De Los Muertos:
Things I Remember You By
To my ancestors
I give you
a cross of red beans and rice
johnny-cakes as you liked
hot tea to chase it
and four books
I remember you by.
I give you
some wheat like that you’ve sown
some patches of cloth I sewed
black eyed peas (for the evil eye)
and some coffee beans
I remember you by.
I give you
some cedar I cut and dried and
a mason jar of traditional
tobacco
for your pipe.
That,
I remember you by.
I give you
Senegalese drum art for the heart beat,
Baby-girl’s first pair of stomp-dance shackles.
Hear her? -turtle cloth around,
and my patchwork skirt so when next I dance,
I'll remember you.
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