Excerpt

Token Sings the Blues

You always or almost
always only one
in the room
Maybe two
Three is a crowd
Three is a gang
Three is a company
of thieves Three is
wow there's so many of you
Three will get you confused
with people that look nothing
like you you get called
Devin your name isn't
Devin you do your best
not to ignore such casual
erasure you know silence
will be received as affirmation
praise even & you always affirmative
You affirmative action action figure
You fantastic first black
friend You first-ballot
quota keeper You almost 
cry when your history
professor says you know
in this country the gold standard
used to be people Funny how
no one comes right out
& says things like you people
anymore it's all code
words like thug or 
diversity hire You diversity
all by yourself You contain
multitudes & are yet
contained everywhere you go
confined like there is always 
someone watching you & isn't 
there & isn't that the entire point
of this flesh you inherited
this unrepentant stain be
twice as good mama says
as if what they have is worth
your panic worth measuring
your very life against & you always
remember to measure
Your hair, your volume, your tone
over email, you perpetually
sorry You don't know why 
you apologize to no one
in particular just for being around
& in your body at the same time
You know your body 
is the real problem
You monster You beast
of burden You beast & burden
You horse but human
You centaur You map
the stars & pull back your bow
to shoot
the moon in its one good white eye
You are everything
your big sister says
& on your best
days above ground you
believe her

Copyright © 2020 by Joshua Bennett