Lady Bright

Jennifer Paige©1996

The kitchen

The kitchen, the kitchen again

Sitting upon the aged Queen’s floor

Amid the dust and laundry of the woman

And afraid-hiding in the corner

And afraid—hovering

And afraid-huddling in the corner

Diamonds from her tiara

Scatter across the tile

Scurrying away from her madness

Lipstick on her teeth

Her kohl-lined eyes

            Vacant

And staring at me

And the shadows

            I’ve a scratch on my hand that won’t

                        Heal

            It inflames when she calls me

            It reddens with madness

            And her voice

            And begins to bleed!

She calls me

Her voice rasped by time and cigarettes

“Lady, Lady Bright, Lady Blood”

And I come,

            With my hands and my eyes

            And my blood

            To drop anchor in the harbor of her arms

And to find comfort in the alcohol-heat

            Escaping her lips

And her tequila kiss is as heady as the

            Drink itself

I fall asleep in her arms

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