OCR Text |
Show Go Love/190 it Mama had the center of the floor with this real tall man named Lord. "Lordy-man," a dark lady sings. The film crews rolled up these huge cameras and got it all on tape for the late news. Mama dancing. And she saw me looking at her and held out a hand for me to join and I did. Honey-I remember her saying Go! Now, many in the congregation sense something off-this isn't how it's supposed to go Funerals aren't like this. Baptists don't dance. We don't make jokes at funerals; we feel guilty, we cry, we tear hair and want to climb into the casket and be the sorry sucks Brother Dell said we were Brother Dell-the spiraling vortex of his darkness very real behind me. "Lupus didn't kill her," I say. "She beat that. I'm talking for her now. She outdanced that son of a bitch wolf. She danced all night. She's smoke on the water. She's still dancing. I see her this second. She's dancing in light. Her hips are forgiving. She holds the Lord man til he cries." O.W.'s red-faced. I don't know what I'm doing. My daughters on her feet, Renee, sister Trace. "Praise God," one of the African American ladies says "Say it'" says another Renee's mouth is trembling-the thing is on her now We meet eyes-I'm crazy, Stepwell crazy, half dwarf. The hysteria is on us, forsythia blooming in her hazel eyes, we could get the sickness this second, laugh our way to kingdom come. I shut my eyes, let fly, "You can't hurt me You can't kill me. You can't drown me." Red sparks fly up against my lids. "I'm love. You can't make me hate you. I'm on fire. I love you! I love you! I love you!" Somebody says, Dear God. "Jesus," the black lady sings. "Thank you." |