Vessel. Parneshia Jones

      © 2015, Text by Parneshia Jones

      © 2015, Cover art by Mildred Howard

      All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher: Milkweed Editions, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.

      (800) 520-6455

       www.milkweed.org

      Published 2015 by Milkweed Editions

      Printed in Canada

      Cover design by Mary Austin Speaker

      Cover art by Mildred Howard

      Author Portrait by Susan Aurinko

      15 16 17 18 19 5 4 3 2 1

       First Edition

      Milkweed Editions, an independent nonprofit publisher, gratefully acknowledges sustaining support from the Lindquist & Vennum Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Target Foundation; and other generous contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Also, this activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota. For a full listing of Milkweed Editions supporters, please visit www.milkweed.org.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Jones, Parneshia.

      [Poems. Selections]

      Vessel / Parneshia Jones. -- First edition.

      pages cm

      ISBN 978-1-57131-467-3 (alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-57131-914-2 (ebook)

      I. Title.

      PS3610.O62755V48 2015

      811'.6--dc23

      2014038729

      Milkweed Editions is committed to ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book production practices with this principle, and to reduce the impact of our operations in the environment. We are a member of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Vessel was printed on acid-free 100% postconsumer-waste paper by Friesens Corporation.