A. ADENIKE PHILLIPS

ODE TO KIN FOLK

a guiding eye leads
to the tree root, twisted

around sister tree, home
not fancy but full, not

quiet but loud songs
from whooshing wash tubs

& the crackle of seed breaking
through the red clay, everywhere

there is a dark sky there
is a wish, there is a journey

under foot. we are pieces of this
sun, this mirror where we march

toward anything that rattles or
roars, anything that pricks, kicks

or stomps, any nation of beasts
we keep small rocks in our pockets

aim straight for the eye of any giant

__________

A. ADENIKE PHILLIPS (SHE/HER) IS A NJ POET WHO EXPLORES THE BOUNDARIES OF GENRE. RECENTLY, SHE WAS CHOSEN AS A PARTICIPANT IN SEASON 17 OF AWP’S WRITERS TO WRITERS PROGRAM. SHE IS CURRENTLY COMPLETING A COLLECTION OF POEMS FOR HER FIRST CHAPBOOK AND RESEARCHING FOR A DOCUMENTARY POETICS PROJECT.