[Spoken Word: Alysia Harris]
What if you doubt the universe's moral arc?
I know the church steeple once unbent, now curls to a question
I know you prayed like you should
But the pews no longer offer solace
That when you petition the heavens
The mouth of the moon falls open to swallow you
I know the gods of experience trick and tire
I know the priest of knowledge locks the tower gates
When you prayed
On nights menacing
City, dark as denim
Horizon flagging
Purple gang signs for the end times
Do the streetlights slander you?
Do the strip clubs beg of you?
In the quiet mosque of your heart
I know you quake, I know you weep
Working out your faith with fear and trembling
What if when you prayed, the void answered
In a language you did not understand?
What if there are strangers in the courtyard?
What if this is the promised land?