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Kwame Dawes

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The torso of a man, from his upper chest down to his waist. Several tattoos are visible ('NO MORE PAIN' is most prominent), a gold medallion of a bulldog's head hangs from a thick chain around his neck, and a wide, striated scar runs vertically down the center of his abdomen.

Look at the embossed
scar, the crucifix
down your stomach;

how they gutted you.
You wear this as a badge,
a mark of strength.

University of Virginia Virginia Quarterly Review
5 Boar's Head Place
PO Box 400223
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903-3237
ISSN 2154-6932