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Thursday, April 25
The Indiana Daily Student

Black Voices

Black Voices: '28 Short Lectures On Touch,' a poem by Adrianne Embry

Black Couple.png

If when I wake and my arm is asleep I will still adjust it around you. There will never be an opportunity to love a black woman that I will be ok with missing. 

Our toes touch as if to say we home here

Sidenote: I believe letting your bare feet touch is an advanced level of intimacy that all couples must advance to. 

Sort of like pooping with the door open for the first time.

The touch of the warm wind on the first day of spring feels like you

How the sound of birds chirping falls on my ears feels like you

You feel like the punch in the arm of a homie when she laughing

You feel like love    like the sound of prayer coming from Aunt Vicky specifically

You feel like a well-greased scalp    and thank you for greasing my scalp for me

You are a black woman’s hymn

You got me singing your name everywhere I go

Lungs know touch too

Knows the specific air created to support me singing your name

Even when we lay on two separate couches I will reach across just to feel you there

I always want to be gifted by your touch 

O' girl do you smell like coco butter and blessings

The air kisses your skin as your arm reaches for me

And we touch

And we touch

And we touch

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