One Day

 

One Day

 -Langston Hughes

This is a joy of a day

a sweet of a day

clouds the color of squashes

Clouds the color of grapes

Gather them down

Store them in a sack of memories

Eat them, lovely, slowly

to nourish torrid nights

When nerves scratch bone

and bone threatens marrow of the mind

Remember the sweetness, slowly, lovely

When the twelve inch rats bellies split

is horror to your child returning home from

Jackson, skipping rope

Bless the sack when they lock your mother's

coffin handing you the unrequested key

If China's rivers flood a continent with blood- remember

If Israel is Jeremiah- remember

One day was perfect