Death Queen
It’s a universe of verse
and I’m dancing with words
until my hearse.
Death stopped for my girl, Em Dickinson.
It shook for me.
Like a drag queen
onstage
getting mad at her audience
for employing silence.
Silly silence!
Long arms and alarming.
The Death Queen performs
the songs
she came from.
She was like a train everybody stopped for.
I didn’t cease.
I couldn’t breathe.
The Queen tried to make me laugh,
but I laid into the train that day.
She did not break off for me.
Death worked with my broken body.
Family had me baptized me in that hospital,
not knowing if I would wake.
And now I’m up and I shake
in so many ways.
I whisper “shh” as I ache.
The rest is dreaded drag.