Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Immunity

"I love too hard, my friends sometimes say"
--Can I Get A Witness, written by Holland, Dozier and Holland

For a while there, I kissed every snake in the basket.
Such pretties,
So persuasive,
every time they catch a girl like me
searching for lost sheep beneath their tree.

I got a reputation--
not like you think.
People thought I did it for love,
or did it for Jesus, letting those vipers crawl all over me;
but I did it for the thrill.
I did it for me.

I never knew there was a real devil,
and she bit me sick deep.
The wound went white, my blood dire thick,
my life-light low; but I had babies at home
so I refused to die and refused to sleep--
you should have heard that bitch-wicked devil thing shriek.

Now I'm home, my babies grown;
looking just like I used to, when I had that strut and those careless ways.
I walk around,
I shuck and jive,
but I just can't let you close, babe, even though I would have loved ya
back when I was alive.
________

Isadora Gruye says write about a zombie apocalypse.



15 comments:

  1. This (the snakes)reminds me of the old bit of vampire lore--they won't cross your threshold(or windowsill, in Salem's Lot) if you don't invite them in--the ending wound it up perfectly, Shay--and I love '...you should have heard that bitch-wicked devil thing shriek...'Chills.

    ReplyDelete
  2. just like I was, Medusa!





    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^= . <3

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is great!
    I kissed a few of those snakes in my time, but I was one of those idiots who thought I could change him into a prince or some such.
    Your protagonist, at least, did not have any such foolish delusions.

    http://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2014/10/octpowrimo-2014-day-16.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. One of my favorite books is by George R R Martin--"Fevre Dream"--and is a vampire book. Not my usual fare--vampires--but a wonderfully-told story.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful. Ouch. Very effectively conveyed as you move to the end. k. (Manicddaily)

    ReplyDelete
  6. i could do a zombie apocalypse like this

    ReplyDelete
  7. you got me! i wasn't expecting zombies or vampires or anything like that... just another love story by fucking brilliant Shay!

    hey, SP, it's been waaaaaaaaaaay too long since you've been to Danny's Coffee Shop! maybe you could give us a little glimpse of what's going on with the girls sometime soon?

    ReplyDelete
  8. you should have heard that bitch-wicked devil thing shriek...

    What a line! This is a poem that begs to be read aloud, full of passion, hatred and caution.

    Loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the second stanza, especially "I did it for me."

    What I love about your poetry is there always a glimmer of humor which lights up even the darkest words. In short, you make it fun to read:~)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those eyes, wow ~ speak volumes. Zombie-speak!

    ReplyDelete
  11. "sick deep." That's just a damn cool Shay-phrase.

    ReplyDelete
  12. but I just can't let you close, babe, even though I would have loved ya back when I was alive...
    love your ending!

    ReplyDelete
  13. So sorry that I am late in my reading....this is so fantastic! I love your zombie voice more than breathing air! Viva la

    ReplyDelete

Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?