Fred Moten

Fred Moten Poems

The Best Poem Of Fred Moten

there is religious tattooing

for a long time, the lotion stigma swirled
on the man who clothes me with a broken

world. I came when they called me. that
cotton rubbed me the wrong way all the


way inside over the course of time. way before
cotton sewn into the coat of the one
who clothes me. before I started clothing

them with paper. before cotton sewn into


their coats they curled up on flat boats
all the way back up the country. the beaded
strips of leather and cotton made me come
to myself when he called me and wrote me


on the one who clothes me. pour some water
on me. make coming matter cut and twirl

on me. the law of emulsion is always broke
on me. somebody pour some beautiful jute

on me. let her blow some horn on me. the man
who clothes me in my skin is gonna write

on me. your writing moves to stop on me.

someday they're gonna curve this on a pearl


on me but now it's time to go and I can't wait
to get up out from here. it's simple to stay furled

where you can't live. for a long, long time I've

been wearing this other planet like a scar on me.

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