If God
Were a Black Girl
by Diane Lewis
If God were found to be a Black girl
it would certainly explain a lot:
how every summer
accurate as the timing of a Swiss watch
comes a storm
the mystery of the aurora borealis
the joy of seeing the world through the eyes of a child
why a saxophone pressed to the lips of Coltrane
would evoke such deep emotion
the color orange
the Blues
the leaping dance of flames
how we know the sun is brilliant
though we cannot look at it directly
the miracle of the clematis
in a forsaken garden;
the morphology of butterflies;
the covenant of rainbows
About Diane Lewis: “I am the Arts Council of Indianapolis’ 2010 Robert D. Beckmann
Emerging Artist Fellow. The Beckmann Fellowship has provided me the opportunity
to develop as a writer, with the goal of producing a full-length book of
poetry. Most recently I have been able to publish my work in Tall Grass
Writer’s Guild Anthology 2013 and 2014, (Outrider Press), Reckless Writing Poetry
Anthology 2013, (Chatter House Press) and Contemporary American Voices (2015). "Smoke
Break" is the 2016 third place winner in the Eber and Wein Publishing
National Amateur Poetry Competition.”by Diane Lewis
If God were found to be a Black girl
it would certainly explain a lot:
how every summer
accurate as the timing of a Swiss watch
comes a storm
the mystery of the aurora borealis
the joy of seeing the world through the eyes of a child
why a saxophone pressed to the lips of Coltrane
would evoke such deep emotion
the color orange
the Blues
the leaping dance of flames
how we know the sun is brilliant
though we cannot look at it directly
the miracle of the clematis
in a forsaken garden;
the morphology of butterflies;
the covenant of rainbows
Editor's note: Diane Lewis died on Sept. 11, 2016.