“Wrap Me Up” by Jhené Aiko
Some people do their praying in a church
a templeor a mosque
but I feel closest togod
whoever she is
when I’m outside in the elements
running on fresh snow
or hiking a new trail
or watching a campfire spark up a dance
into the dark.
You must get your outdoorsiness from Mama Alice,
Mom likes to tease, even though
she’s the one who carried me
and Mama Alice had to formally adopt me
after I was born.
But I don’t think she’s wrong.
Mama Alice and I might not share blood
or be the same race
but we speak the same language
when it comes to nature.
When I was a kid and it was summer
it was always the two of us
headed out on another
weekend tripto hike a new trail
kayak on Lake Michigan
sleep alfresco
overnight under the stars.
Mother Earth is the most profound muse,
Mama Alice always said
as we roasted our dinner of hot dogs and corn
