Heart of a Little Brown Girl// Safety Container (Anxiety Pt.II)

It starts with children running circles around the koi pond. old man back bent so close his nose touches ground. sandalwood incense wafting around sun spot skin. Cleansing. Fire red momiji leaves, five point stars, tornado in the wind. Lay themselves bare on a thousand red domino gates etched with names of men and women who believe in
faith. winding in and out. peaks of sunlight let the world inside. sutra hums ring to taiko beat. child asks mother about the other side of our prayers. how? invisible gods hold 5 yen coins in their hands. “universal
language” mother remarks with a pat on daughters head. i
sit on top of a well. hands resting on thighs.
tappers.
breathing
levels.

birds land on my arms.
butterflies thread my hair, black
beady eyes mistaking me for tree.

Rooted.

Softer
than the echo of water lapping on stone,
birds sing-psalm,
someone is calling my name.

Oide

Please come home.

By Autumn Smith

Biography:

A Cleveland bred poet, Autumn focused on the rhythm and conveying her ideas through image and senses in her poems. Originally a spoken word poet, she participated in the Brave New Voices competition in 2011, ran a spoken word club and poetry workshops throughout college, and is now a contributing editor for Barnhouse Journal. Through exploration of race, mental illness, and humanity, she delves deeper into her own existence. Her main inspirations are Andrea Gibson, Anis Mojgani, and Naomi Shihad Nye.