Baskin Cooper
The Naming
she calls me zahrukar
a name that sounds like ash
the syllables pull the air tight
like a knot around my throat
smoke clings to her hair
a low ember scent
her robes the color of spilled wine
eyes a green colder than rain
I answer before I can think
she nods once
as if I have claimed this name
the night bends closer
from a small iron box
she lifts a dark stone
its weight finds my palm
I can't recall my other name
Bio
Baskin Cooper is an award-winning poet, visual artist, and multidisciplinary creator based in Chatham County, North Carolina. A PhD in psychology who previously lived in Cork, Ireland, he explores folklore, lyricism, and personal history. His poems have appeared in Verse-Virtual, ONE ART: A Journal of Poetry, Ink & Oak Lit, and others.