KayLee Chie Kuehl (Iowa City, USA)
the smell of rain
on her skin still carries
the scent of the sea
the same strip of emerald blue
that tore at her ancestors feet
when they cut the folds
between their toes on the boat
that ripped open the throat
of their homeland
leaving corpses tangled
in the carcasses of trees
flesh and bone
scattered along the lips
of the ocean
the smell of rain
on her skin still carries
the scent of the dead
the bodies of stolen people
have been discarded, decayed
inside the embrace
of rip tides and waves
but when the sea breathes
their voices rise
spread across a hollow sky
carve open the clouds
and fall to her skin.
the rain
is the ancestor’s cleanse.
KayLee Chie Kuehl is a poet, writer, and artist based in Iowa City. Her projects often focus on culture, identity, race, and spirituality. Through the work creates, she hopes to provide a safe space, encourage empathy, and help heal as many people as possible.