LiVE MAG!

for Sekou Sundiata (memory)

I once wrote a poem
about older black men
in sharp hats
leaning into a
spring day

knowing they
felt so good
because they looked
so good

it didn’t make
a difference
if the women
didn’t see through
their years
because they
saw through

it was in the hats

Sekou said
Mark, you mean
African-American men
right?

I said yeah
but the line
old black men in sharp hats
sounds better than
African-American

he laughed
said
the way you say it
yeah
the way I say it
correcting you
sounds better too