Unnatural State of the Unicorn
by Yusef Komunyakaa
Introduce me first as a man.
Don’t mention superficial laurels
the dead heap up on the living.
I am a man. Cut me & I bleed.
Before embossed limited editions,
before fat artichoke hearts marinated
in rich sauce & served with imported wines,
before antics & Agnus Dei,
before the stars in your eyes
mean birth sign or Impression,
I am a man. I’ve scuffled
in mudholes, broken teeth in a grinning skull
like the moon behind bars. I’ve done it all
to be known as myself. No titles.
I have principles. I won’t speak
on the unnatural state of the unicorn
in literature or self-analysis.
I have no birthright to prove,
no insignia, no secret
password, no fleur-de-lis.
My initials aren’t on a branding iron.
I’m standing here in unpolished
shoes & faded jeans, sweating
my manly sweat. Inside my skin,
loving you, I am this space
my body believes in.
Collected in I APOLOGIZE FOR THE EYES IN MY HEAD, Wesleyan University Press, © 1986
Most Poetry will post a poem by a Black poet each day through the month of June.