Chaun Ballard
(More) Alternate Names for Black Boys
—after Danez Smith
Munro Galloway
18. werewolves in daylight
19. embers without wings
20. orwellian sonnets
21. bones of obsidian & flint
22. aim & fire’s love child
23. rorschach ink blot
24. bulletproof—
25. no proof—
26. poof!—he gone
27. ashes to dust
28. white sheets & closed curtains
29. abracadaver
30. abrakaboom!
31. —
32. forgotten
And It Came to Pass
when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel
his brother
and killed him,
Pac, Biggie, Jam Master Jay,
Don-Don, Peezy, and Koppel
over John Madden
over who shotcha?
over a mistaken identity
over a few puffs of weed
over you snitchin’?
over you got beef?
over you O.G. Bobby Johnson?
over Blue Magic
over a li’l taste
over another Quaalude,
she gonna love me again
over so an’ so said—
over so an’ so said whaaaaat?
over daaaaaamn, homie,
you gon’ let that ride?
over Levar fucked yo’ bitch, nigga
over bitch, dat’s my nigga
over who you callin’ bitch?
over dat ain’t yo’ nigga
if he was yo’ nigga
he wouldna been wit’ me las’ night
over where you from, cuz?
over I ain’t neva been yo’ cousin, homie
over a fresh pair of kicks
over a clownin’ new fit
over my grandmamma gave me that chain
over shake ’em up
over blow on the dice
over snap yo’ fingas and grunt—
ahhhhhh, niggaaaa, you crapped out!
over gimme dat dub
over oh, so you D-Boe now?
over throw them dogs then, foo’
over he ain’t gon’ do shit
over pull yo’ strap on me—betta kill me
over they shot Ricky
over we gon’ ride down on that bustah, Willie Manchester?
over somebody’s gotta die—
if I go you gotta go
somebody’s gotta die
let the gunshots blow
somebody’s gotta die
nobody gotta know
that I killed yo’ ass in the mist,
kid
over where is Abel your brother?
over am I my brother’s keeper?
Poet and photographer Chaun Ballard was raised in both St. Louis, Missouri, and San Bernardino, California. For seven years now, he and his wife have been teaching in the Middle East and West Africa. He is currently a graduate student in the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s MFA Program. He’s had poems recently accepted by Columbia Poetry Review, HEArt Online, International Poetry Review, Off the Coast, Orbis: Quarterly International Literary Journal, Pittsburgh Poetry Review, Rattle, The Caribbean Writer, and other literary magazines. His photos can be seen in the latest issues of Gravel, HEArt Online, Off the Coast, and The Silk Road Review.