Poet Truth Thomas
When Aretha Sings
Boilers hush their bubbling
Hornets holster stings
Twisters cease their troubling
When Aretha sings
Drive-bys pass on drama
Hatred folds its wings
Angels slap their mamas
When Aretha sings
Shark teeth park their biting
Gangsters park their leans
Armies park their fighting
When Aretha sings
Goose bumps mount their risers
Hand claps wind their springs
Songbirds pass out flyers
When Aretha sings
Jack Frost sells his ice stand
Terror turns from screams
Atheists start prayer bands
When Aretha sings
Heaven warms up soul plates
Mahalia’s gumbo steams
Martin brings the dream cake
When Aretha sings
Emmet Till starts humming
Walking Canaan’s green
Sam Cooke’s change is coming
When Aretha sings
--from Speak Water
©2012 Truth Thomas
Tags: Made in HoCo, Create, Think
