Eugene Ethelbert Miller Poems

sometimes after someone has hit a foul
the umpire will toss a new ball back to the pitcher
the pitcher will catch it look at it rub it
then toss it back and ask that umpire for a new ball
...

will i hate mirrors?
will i hate reflections?
will i hate to dress?
will i hate to undress?
...

You push the door open not knowing
what to expect. She sits in a chair next
to her hospital bed. Just sitting. How long?
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most of my socks have holes in them
so when I get to omar's house
the first thing I hear
...

sometimes my daddy argues with my momma
sometimes it's about rent
or why my shoes suddenly grew small
...

I told her...she had very nice hips.
She told me...I shouldn't be looking around
corners.
I said...I like to see where I'm going.
...

poetry is prayer
light dancing inside words
five times a day
...

you lie in bed listening,
waiting, fearing the moment
your father returns home. you
...

Every morning
I look for you
on the menu.
...

in the early twenties
a boat brought
my father to America
his first impressions
...