Friday Feature: Mecca M. Miles
- Jae Nichelle
- 17 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Mecca M. Miles is a Black, queer writer and spoken word poet from San Antonio, Texas. Her work has appeared in such publications as Wellspringwords Literary Anthology, The San Antonio Review, Texas Bards Anthology, When the River Speaks, Voices de la Luna, Voices Along the River, and has been featured on Best of Button Poetry. She has competed nationwide, taking 8th in Florida at the Exit 36 Slam in 2023 and 8th in Dallas, TX at the Right to Write Slam in 2024. She has featured at a number of local venues and is the 2024/2025 Poetry Grand Slam Champion of San Antonio, TX.
God Whispers on Leyland Drive
The air is filled with ash-colored rings
And the smell of dial soap
The couch—
still holding the remnants
Of all the family
That have made bed of its cushions
Calls out to me
And my grandpa's smile
Is a cold glass of milk on a Sunday morning.
As the gospel music ushers us into the day
He smokes
Like the Bible had named it commandment
Laughs
Like God himself whispered some grand joke
About some small thing
Here
In his house
The record player never skipped
The fridge was never empty
And the beer inside
Never flung curses at children
There was more holy in these four walls
Than in my mother's church
More welcome
Than I ever felt at home
And I
all clumsy elbows and wonder,
knees knocking with questions
sat among the smoke and gospel,
On the floor by his feet,
Just some small thing
Trying to make sense of a grand joke
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Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats.