From The Terrible Stories (1996), "amazons" Summary

This is one of the most directly personal of Clifton's poems. In it, she is waiting for the news of whether she has breast cancer or not. She is surrounded by a group of women whom she calls a "rookery," and since she also calls them "daughters of dahomey," a former west African country, one can assume that they are black friends. They are also cancer survivors, each having just one breast, which she holds in her hands. The women are Amazons here in the poem, great strong warrior women. Not only are Clifton's real friends there, but also the ancestors of generations past, supporting her. When she runs to the telephone for the news, she already knows it somehow, writing the poem beforehand. The friends, the Amazons, dance around her...