Fate Of The Departed Those who stay are equally marked.

Daughter to never know grandmother
Brother to never know brother
And descendants to never know their mother soil

And for the daughter that does not know the
Outline of her grandmother’s face,
Her Daughter will always know the
Pain that undulates in the underbelly of her laughter.
Its vibration penetrates deep and lays dormant,
Only to be activated at the height of her raining season

Oceans to never know the carcasses they will carry
Clouds to never know the blood
Laced in the water that forms their soft bones

There is no greater pain than a pain foreign to the five senses,
Yet has managed to embed itself in the crux of a spirit.
One cannot heal from something that has no way of being decomposed—
Where did it come from? From who did it travel
And when will it seek to,
depart—


Listen to Dina Asábea Williams reading Fate Of The Departed.


Dina Asábea Williams is a Ghanaian-American writer and musician. She has a BA in Literary Studies, Journalism, and Design from The New School (NYC, USA) where she was also a deputy editor and contributor for its Free Press. Her songs Pericope and Out There debuted on Ausli Hue’s sophomore album CMD+B.

Cover Image: Zac Wolff on Unsplash.