“Most young [queens] get their heads cut off.” – Basquiat

Dee dee dum

beneath the bell bellows
organic strains announcing
her arrival

surrounded by the
Queen of Hearts soldiers
worshipping her glory
with putrid tongues warped
around the mouthpiece
Off with her head!

Dee dee dum dum

beneath the bellows
three valves
pitched
the lulls
of each blow
Dee

 

 

 

 

of each blow

Dee

Dee

Dum

the leadpipe snaps

blood rushes with

a sinuous grace

through

the water key

deliquescing into

a blackened crown

sanguine colors her robe

the fingers hook 

around her casket

as her calvary 

rages in fellowship

Dee dee dum

Off with their heads!

-for Shanquella

Fictitious were the things the crowd said
lies toppled from eyeballs in their head
but the Queen sat and smiled
knowingly all the while
later on, it would be off with their heads

 

Does Karma appear on her own?
or is she sown
A hyacinth on the bayou
loved by those who
receive soft reprimands that taste
like the fates

gracious like honey at the gates
linger with flowing demeanor
Can she be summoned or conjured?
or is she sown loved by those who like the fates

I would imagine it to be somewhat of a lie ² red hot pokers encircle
the shade that bears strange fruit; ³sandaled feet surmounting titties
of the highest peak ⁴as I lay you down to Jezebel your soul did speak
⁵beguiled again, by my wisdom and shaft only to be brought up as a
joke ⁶sapphires evade your eyes; you journey back to ebony towers
⁷resplendent fawn slain in the sun because to be queen is to be slave
to everyone ⁸and yes, in the sinews of Erta Ale; if I hack away just
enough I will find the tip ⁹of thorns that stimulated the clitoris ¹⁰fine
as brass and smooth as shale; the deepest¹¹noirities as far as Gishen
could see with hips milted away in blended curves ¹²and back dimples
cratered to set the finest brand of tea cups on, ¹³ launched circa forever
¹⁴ago you always knew the sinuous secrets that would belay my mind
¹⁵just enough to persuade me to ¹⁶not eat the apple ¹⁷dethrone
Bael ¹⁸spare thee Baptist ¹⁹so how did they go from that to bitch