Kwame Dawes is the author of fifteen books of poetry and many books of fiction, nonfiction, criticism, and drama. His work on HIV/AIDS in Jamaica has resulted in an essay for the Spring 2008 issue of VQR, the poetry collection Hope’s Hospice, and the website livehopelove.com, which won an Emmy Award for new approaches to news and documentary programming. His latest books include the poetry collection Back of Mount Peace and the novel Bivouac.
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Andre, what have you given me
with these scattered ashes
that fall lightly on my shoulders?
I am afraid to look into these eyes,
I want the boy to pull his hood closer
so that I do not have to answer
the stoning of questions that have
no answers. You have given
me light and color, the pulse
Virginia Quarterly Review
