dear mary

not the assignment...an old friend's birthday


dear mary

once queen of popcorn town,
exiled south past pig farms
to be educated for eternity

you, the gretel to my hansel—
down a winding forest path
we found our way to a witch’s cottage

i fairy-taled it out of there
leaving you behind to bake
longer than a preacher’s daughter should

i conjured dreams of your body
jig-sawing into mine, a clean fit
more fluid finding shape than solid

all i got were sudden glimpses
of halloween scares of another him
twitching, head-butting to blood

you two cocktailed a poison
and helpless, half-naked
found me to save and send away

or the clock tower night
you strung yourself to the second
on another brew of smoke and pill

mary, even the last time was holy
mid-summer in memphis
you floating down beale street

hollow-eyed and high bouncing baby
in your lithe arms to an unheard blues
and he, more upright, trailed two steps

mary, no mother of messiahs
mary, no redeemed temptress
mary, i remain more faithful than ever