14 Jul: "Moth" by Atsuro Riley

— Candy’s Stop, up Hwy. 52

I been ‘Candy’ since I came here young.

My born name keeps but I don’t say.

To her who my mama was I was

pure millstone, cumbrance.   Child ain’t but a towsack full of bane.

Well I lit out right quick.

Hitched, and so forth.   Legged it.

Was rid.

Accabee at first (then, thicket-hid) then Wadmalaw;

out to Nash’s meat-yard, Obie’s jook.   At

County Home they had this jazzhorn drumbeat

orphan-band ‘them lambs’ they — 

They let me bide and listen.

This gristly man he came he buttered me

then took me off (swore I was surely something) let me ride in back.

Some thing — 

(snared) (spat-on) Thing

being morelike moresoever what he meant.

No I’d never sound what brunts he called me what he done

had I a hundred mouths.

How his mouth.   Repeats

on me down the years.   Everlastingly

riveled-looking, like rotfruit.   Wasn’t it

runched up like a grub.

First chance I inched off (back through bindweed) I was gone.

Nothing wrong with gone as a place

for living.   Whereby a spore eats air when she has to;

where I’ve fairly much clung for peace.

Came the day I came here young

I mothed

my self.   I cleaved apart.

A soul can hide like moth on bark.

My born name keeps but I don’t say.