We pressed the flesh 
of our bloody fingers together
and proclaimed ourselves
sisters-
by blood

You asked me:  if
eating your spit
was the only way to keep you from dying,
would I do it?
and I said I would

We attempted to run away together
w/ only some crackers, our bikes, and
no money to our name
but turned around after
half a block up the hill
realizin' that it was insane
(only because the guy in the
Toyota truck  that had all the
letters missing except 'yo'
looked strange, and he might have snatched us)

When growing pains
forced us into puberty w/
no rites of passage,
we passed the nights and days
playing speed and listening to love songs

I knew you was pregnant before you did
and when you had that kid, my godson
on the 11th of January,
my mom took me out of school,
and I was there

And when Allen 
your cousin, and my first love
died,
the strings that bound our sisterhood
were tied/supertight
After no sleep nights
puffy eyes
choked cries
and tries to numb the pain w/ weed,
the things we did need (God and each other)
were there.

When I knew I was going to get married,
you're the first one I told

When I saw 2 pink lines on my e.p.t stick,
you're the first one I told

But now maybe Time
is dictating the circumstances,
I don't know...

...but on a Monday night,
you told me you were getting married-
that Wednesday
and as my baby grew in my womb,
you said you were going to come see me
and when my belly ran out of room,
you still said
you were going to come see me
I started having those first contractions;
I calleed, but you
weren't there
and when I gave birth to my son 
later that day, I called;
you still weren't there

we finally talked.
you still said
you were coming to see me
My son's a month old now.
I haven't heard anything, but I see.
time goes on, and certain things 
are no longer a priority
I understand.

I think.