Tonight's Poet Corner: Dipped In All The Colors

Dipped In All The Colors

by Belinda Roddie

These shadows on the walls want

me to snap myself in half. I'm trying

to stay ahead, but still, my brain

is understaffed. I'm running graveyard

shifts, but I might be digging my own

grave. Who needs to spare a soul when

they say mine needs to be saved? They're

calling me depraved because they think I've

misbehaved, but shadows don't know

shit beyond a simple silhouette. They

like to claim they gamble when they've

never placed a bet. I've bet my fucking

livelihood on things they've never felt,

just trying every single goddamn day to

be myself. 

I'm dressed all dapper, suit's a snapper,

but my eyes are neon. They glow brighter

than signatures all written out in crayon.

You like to be all vintage, but I'm

meant for this new eon. I'll warm you up

and chill you down; I'm made of fucking

freon. I'm built out of the bricks thrown

by the great Marsha P. Johnson. I owe

my love to gals like her for keeping up the

haunting. Their ghosts are fucking fabulous -

yeah, they'll live on forever. And if you pull

a stunner, girl, I'll say they wore it better. I'm

looking at the forecast, and we're in for stormy

weather, but the sun comes out eventually, so

there's time for the spectrum. 

The shadows want me burned out so

I'll stumble toward redemption, but seeing

that I've done no wrong, can I get an exemption?

My wife is waiting for me to come home

for a nice evening, so shadows, scurry off,

or else I'll force you into leaving. My stories

are worth telling, starring ladies who are kissing

no one else but other ladies - don't you tell them

what they're missing. They've run laps around

their parents who look out for male suitors, make

sure that they're newly neutered, primed and primped

and smartly tutored. No, I'm not going for fellows. 

I like beauties in a skirt, or a woman in a suit

like me; now, that could never hurt.

Hey, shadows, want to play a game? I'd hate

to make you lose. You think I'm damned

forever, but you're caught in your own noose.

You want me back in the closet? Darling, I'm

gonna say no. It won't take me back, dipped in

all the colors of the rainbow.