MATTIE
she's on that darn bicycle again
this time she wears a purple hat
a purple lace fascinator droops
over her determined charcoal face
a charcoal face with lion-green eyes
her gold bracelet glistens the sunlight
the gold bracelet her daddy gave her
gifted to her on her fifteenth birthday
an inscribed gift, branding, ownership tag
like they did at the slave auction long ago
today she was determined
she would raise that fascinator
look upon his closed lion-green eyes one last time
and whisper, "daddy, i too, am your daughter".
MATTIE © gillena cox 2017
