Sabrina Spence is an event coordinator, poet, and theatre-lover from Memphis, TN. She is also an MFA candidate at the University of Memphis where she works for The Pinch Literary
Journal. Her poems have been published in Beyond Words, Waxing & Waning, Papeachu
Review, and NonBinary Review. Sabrina has performed spoken word for ALSAC/St. Jude and
was named a finalist for Palette Poetry's 2023 Resistance and Resilience Prize. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
How to Read Your Pot Likker
The eyes are hot, burning red with exhaustion
and in the scraped bottom of your grandmama’s pot
you discover the charred remains of another woman’s body—
her toils and tears seasoning the base like cast iron.
Take your wooden spoon and stir her dreams
in with the ham hock and salt doctors say you shouldn’t eat.
Carve her name in each stalk to steam the letters into your windows.
Let her ghost live around the panes of your kitchen—listen
to the wrap of her apron as it greases the air
and flavors the scent of your favorite dish.
When the leaves wilt butter-soft like bodies
dark and bending to the strength of the wind
with cut palms and stinging bellies, anoint your brow with the shining oil.
Coat your bones in old prayers as they sizzle
in the fat of your brain,
and bathe in the boiling water as you emulsify yourself
in the marrow of your blood’s reminiscence.
In the light of the stove, cook yourself down.
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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.