from A Couple of Questions
by June Jordan

I have someplace to go
and candles to light
and I live 3,500 miles and 3 time zones away
from the only lover in the world
who can keep me
awake when I’m actually fast
asleep

And all of this hatred sorely aggravates my soul
all of this hatred aggravates my soul
and hate will not obliterate
3 time zones
plus 3,500 miles
of Unadulterated Baby I’m Here By My Lonesome Self Reality
and so I’m trying to handle this math
I know
it’s a fact
you can’t take a political meeting
to bed
it’s a fact
and there are these other
several happy things I want to find out about
instead
like
when will you love me enough
to move
just a little bit closer