john brown’s
fine parchment face
suddenly chantilly
lace his torso a doily
perforated twinkling
with sweet patient fungus
shiny maggot-
milled one old gold trinket slipped
between two ribs
his legs folded and cold
he too was somebody’s
honeybunch and heartleap
his jaw an ox-bone
his eyes full of lake
his burring voice booming out
bold songs like
john bro-own’s body
da-da da-da da da da
and john brown’s body (da-da da-da da da da)
Source: Poetry (February 2019)