3/30

When I was 3
While under a tree
I asked you a question
“Daddy, how did God create himself”
You looked at me
With pride and sincerity
Then answered
“Allah is, was, and always will be”
And that was where it began…

My understanding of creation
Was cradled by our interaction
Like on the job training
I was being prepared
Studying in the shadows
Of a master

You molded my spirit
With the precision of
A sculpter’s hands
What a masterful creation
What a beautiful dance

You were my superhero
Larger than life

Capable of holding
the sun in one hand
and balancing me
in the other

And my dearest memory
Is me
Standing on your feet
Holding on to your hands
Walking up your chest
And flipping over

Remember you throwing me up
Over project sunsets
Just high enough for me
To see the paradise
That laid in the ghetto

Peddled me on 10-speed
Through neighborhoods
Uncovering their treasure
These were our adventures

On the backdrop
of summer afternoons
I learned the secrets
Of the universe

A little girl’s relationship
With her daddy
Is magic

You were a genius
Cloaked in
Common man’s clothes
But I knew your secret

You were the pattern
That I tailored
My future to

Placed parchment against fabric
Fastened and secured
Scissored along the lines
Double stitched
And hemmed

You were always there
To mend my rough edges

Showed me the beauty
Of blackness
Not in words
But with action

Raised the bar so high
That I had to master flight
To get over

You are the wind
Beneath my wings
And as the seasons changed
You became the reason
That I couldn’t accept
My husband’s last name

There is no replacement
For you
No substitute
Just humble attempts
Of living up to your legend

And while I have worn
Many titles
Being Talib’s daughter
Was by far the most honored

And when the time comes
Know that I will be there
As you have been for me

To wash your body
Chant the prayers
To announce your arrival
Hold your hands
Allow you to stand on my feet
Walk up my legs
To my chest
And flip over
Into the next phase
Of your beginning

Watch you fly
High enough
To block out
The sun
And once again
Bathe in your shadow

I will light candle
And kneel before you
Then
As I do now
Learning at the foot
Of a master

At 32
I ask myself a question
How did God create himself
And the answer is this
God’s creation
Was sparked in
The heart of a man

Your love for me
Is proof
That God exists