Judgement of the Hidden (Or, Consequence of Taste)

In Judgement of the Hidden (Or, Consequence of Taste)

You’re so far in the closet
You’re a sweater
Bulky, ugly, maroon (an ugly color, that)
knitted by a creature (let’s say, your grandmamma
or spinster aka lesbian aunt,
for whom this poem is also for)

in an effort to conjure
comfort
out of
crass materials,
warmth
out of
now very cold sheep, little lambs
who shiver
to provide you
manufactured safety,
this woven itchy shroud, silent
instead of singing!
celebratory skin glowing purple proud majesty, oh
for the love of honesty!
yes! the love of

the innate beauty between
those fingers
working frantically
at the sewing machine
despite the furor

of inconsolable fragments of verisimilitude
skeletons of what’s true
who are cranky and nude
who are
thumping on the closet door
like a riot of the hungry many
tilling the sky and drumming their voices
dousing Jericho with a holler a cry for
RESPECT! PEACE!
and no lives for oil, for liar’s fire and grease
the fossils of each
past person, like you
those who
never released
themselves
from the pastel prisons
and cellophane cells
you thread the needle
they roar they rattle,
your ancestors
in technicolor and sequins and lost blood
choking on rubble from Stonewall,
lines of Sapphic poetry,
shoved down their mouths
to keep them sedated

“So what?” you hiss.
you. are. tired. of all their noise
noxious nonsense
isn’t it your choice?
isn’t it your life?
Yes.
and aren’t you allowed to hide, deny, flee and lie your way out of and from
whatever you so choose?
Yes. In theory.
In theory,
had you not
dangled that carrot— (or was it a pomegranate?)
--that magic piece of produce, (apple?) ripe,
soiled with knowledge,
denied denial.

You snake!
You reckless Jehovah!
Self-imploding
out of
necessity and self-loathing
you shouldn’t have fed those Skeletons
that apple from the tree
that carrot from the ground

(those sounds, her skin, knees and chests in motion
pictures replay in your mind everyday,
the consequences, consequences, consequences
of taste)
should have let water
remain name-less
kept yourself blame-less

for now you know
they know
you know