Patricia Smith

Patricia Smith (born 1955) is an American poet, spoken-word performer, playwright, author, writing teacher, and former journalist. Poem below is an example of The Golden Shovel poetic form,  in homage to Gwendolyn Brooks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are soft-caged behind streaked windows, our someday plans

grayed and siphoned flat. “Faith” is simply a church sound, not strong

like “factory,” “scrubbing the chitlins,” or “keeping that man.”

 

But could faith be a blatant gold blasting through dinner’s fatty fumes,

its perfumed lure tangling with the smell of twice-fried potatoes

and twist-tied bags of reeking rubbish lining the dark hall?

Fluttering beneath florescent sputter, could faith warm our rooms,

 

even the walls scrubbed raw with Baptist chill? If we let faith in,

had the mind to carve it a space, keep it Sunday clean,

anticipate its slow glories, beg it to begin?

 

We can’t spare the time faith needs. We don’t have that minute.

Since silly wants like hot water require we be practical now,

we wait and wait on the bathroom, hope the warm stays in it.