Maybe Then
When the day has fallen and the waters lay silent before the night sky. When the stars in the heavens beat with vigor and violence and the gods still their tongues. When the moon no longer forgets my name. When you no longer forget my name. When all that is blooded and curse can find peace in our vessels. When hands reaching for the heavens are meet with arms reaching out for the descent. When pains lets go of you but purpose still remains. When baptisms are once again sacred and broken is washed away so that all that remains is beautiful. When you are solid and no longer transparent finally occupying this body you once called home. When their is more joy in sunrises than sunsets because beginnings hold more power than endings. When you are once again set loose upon the surface of the earth but no longer are you hunted by the God that freed you.
Marthé Ndongala is Punch Drunk Press’s first Featured Woman Poet this August! She is a local creative residing in the Denver Metro Area. She works with various non-profit organizations teaching disenfranchised youth about writing, self love, and identity in the diaspora. Some of the organizations she has partnered with include Denver Children’s Home and SlamNUBA. Born in Congo, Kinshasa Marthé believes in incorporating African identity in modern society by means of literary expression, videography, photography and other artistic expressions. When she isn’t working with children, you can find her reading, painting, and learning Italian. You can follow Marthé on instagram @m.t.nd. Currently, Marthé is constructing her own brand as well as self-publishing a body of poetry titled Making Kindle Wood with My Mothers Legs.
Featured image by Gem & Lauris RK
