Jerrice J. Baptiste has authored eight books.  Her poetry has been included in the Poetic License—Exhibitions at The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK), and in many reputable journals & magazines such Artemis Journal, The Yale Review, Mantis, The Dewdrop, The Banyan Review, Kosmos Journal, Shambhala Times, The Caribbean Writer, MER, Spirit Fire Review. She has been nominated as Best of The Net for 2022 by Blue Stem. She calls the Hudson Valley New York home. 

Sak Kokoye

Bare mocha chest through open collar. Black  
James Dean – you knew you were cool!
Your surfing glance charmed women into a daze. 
 
You lived in the countryside,
brought back young coconuts
in a knapsack to the city. We perked up
whenever we saw your sack full of coconuts,
 
sawing each one in the outdoor kitchen.
Green gourd shell, sweet white flesh,
milk dripped onto thirsty earth.
 
I remember how you curled slim silver rings in air
as we girls ate you extinguished each cigarette.
Crushed, back & forth with the tip of your shoe,
digging each one into its grave.

In Many Shades

My ancestor had many shades 
almond, maple, brown eggshell, cacao.

If only we could name
all of his colors from head to toe.

Clove hair, nutmeg forehead,
bridge of nose stem 
of Shitake mushroom,
pink petal tongue when octopus 
opens tentacles,
teal blue veins under skin
hiding red blood cells,
flushed oat palms in prayer.

He couldn’t rest in woods,
kept moving.
sulphur-colored ankles
on silver rocks, then in river water.
Chased by dogs, tracking sugarcane scent. 

Great-Great-Great-grandfather escaped
the plantation with intelligence of a well
camouflaged jungle animal.