No Winds

Mighty strange how the dust

appeared in the desert

one day, no winds

under an orange sherbert sunset

The dust did not trickle down

from any mountains

or circle down

from the sky

It did not come

from the Dust bowl

or Grapes of Wrath

or Mother Earth

The dust appeared

from unseen places

it slows down your breath

and marchmallows your heart

There is no sense of time

no sense of speed

no sense of space

you think you are moving

when you are not

you think you are seeing

when you are not

You think you are stronger

than you are

that you could shimmy

through stone

and stroll through

cactus high flames

You think you could fly

The dust did not come

from angels

or alien ships

The dust was created

to kill

the poor and fill

the American prisons

with black and brown people

The dust was brought down

to the desert

from the cities

from white, black and brown gangs

Dust that had been

dropped into their hoods

out of no where

like manna

© Spoon Jackson 

(for Michka and Gil Scott Heron)