"Are we going to prom or to hell?"

It's 20,000 leagues under "what now?"
The jury's out
Thumbs twiddle in the waiting of an empty page
throw a dart at the calendar to find Judgment Day
***

Ladies...Hard Work Really Does Pay Off!

I dyed my hair, dear
scooped my pits clean of hair
and scraped that rusty blade up and down my legs
Slathered my skin with baby oil and laid in the sun
to get that sexy bronzed cancer look you are so fond of
I even paid someone
to pour hot wax on my crotch and.....
I screamyouscreamweallscreamforBEAUTEEEEEE!!!
plucked the hairs from betwixt my brow..
do you think I'm pretty now?
I emptied my bookshelves of Jong and Foucault
and filled them back up with Vogue and Cosmo
The diet's going great...since I can't afford groceries
I ran up five credit cards
on make-up and eye creams and cellulite balms
I worked three jobs to pay for
these two silicone mountains men so adore
Had needles full of botulism paralyze the lines around my mouth
I can't smile now
but I assure you, on the inside..
I'm so proud!

Hospital Bed

I told the doctor to:
"give me pain. I approve of it"
In the hospital bar I order
a shot of Lorazepam and a medical juice chaser
And everywhere there are diseases.
I rest when I can
beneath the dark wing of a half-open door
one ribbon of light spilling in
But there's no rest for the Sickness
The nurses are bitches
but it's the needles that bite.
Saline carries the thing
that wet pharmaceutical sleep
entering my palms like the holy spirit
a reverse stigmata
the walls are splattered with Hallmark
telling me to get better
to count my blessings
But I've looked this gift-horse in the mouth and only counted cavities
Somewhere the family is waiting
tapping the glass
like rude zoo patrons
bets are made on who will win
but I am not fighting
I am just waiting for the sheep of sleep to come in
It's too hard to count them
when the corners of this room are always moving
"Ma'am, could you open the window please. It's July."
Now my eyelids are falling
I'm counting the sheep
as they one
jump
two
jump
three
out of the sick room
out into
the un-marked green of the night.