Church in Basic Training
Jalina Mhyana

It felt like fucking, all this touching
every Sunday behind bibles, virgins
swaying up against me, breathless,

and my pelvis rubbing god’s—

Every Sunday behind bibles, virgins,
soldiers tight against me, longing,
and my pelvis rubbing god’s
to the big black woman voices.

Soldiers tight against me, longing,
all that rising, sitting, kneeling
to the big black woman voices,
spirits warming, tensing, folding, then

all that rising, sitting, kneeling
like some kind of dance, a mating,
spirits warming, tensing, folding and
god went “Shhhhh” between my thighs—

Like some kind of dance, a mating,
I passed candies to the trainees while
god went “Shhhhh” between my thighs
to keep our secrets in my panties and

I passed candies to the trainees while
my husband’s hands went roaming
to keep our secrets in my panties,
Amen, Amen, hallelujah!

My husband’s hands went roaming,
he was all the boys around me—
Amen, Amen, hallelujah!
Chanting sweaty, almost cult-like!

He was all the men around me,
swaying up against me, breathless,

chanting sweaty, almost cult-like!
It felt like fucking, all this touching.

First published in Ink Pot