Tiana Clark

2 months ago | chapter16.org | Stephanie Niu |Bobby Rogers |Tiana Clark |Destiny O. Birdsong

When the ship to Mars has already departed,and my wealthiest friends have plots in New Zealandfor their children, or have no children, what boxdo I put my treasure in? I have one waterproof bagthat clips at the top. Every month, money dripsinto my retirement account. You think the worldwill still be around when you’re sixty-five? I don’t knowwhat it means to survive. I’ve learned all I canabout the Svalbard seed vault. I used to spend timeon the names of birds until the warblers disappeared.

Sep 11, 2023 | newyorker.com | Tiana Clark

I think of the kids I may or may not have. I think abouttheir hair, the possible dark-brown curls. Baby fingerstapping on my face. I haven’t made up my mind yet,but my body is making decisions before I am readyto make them. I can’t seem to say what it is I wantout loud. I can almost see all my different lives, almosttaste them, like trying to catch the tail end of a cinematicdream before it evaporates.

Sep 11, 2023 | vqronline.org | Tiana Clark

after The Negro Scipio I’m lonely and the only Black person inside the paid Cézanne exhibit today. I’ve been traveling the world solo for six months trying to record and reckon with beauty. Maybe it’s more precise to say that it feels like I’m the only Black person besides Scipio, hanging on the wall. I was surprised to see him there. I was expecting white people, flowers, and fruit. I stand in front of your back, examining.