queen of the dance hall

 

Lady Death

likes to

go out

dancing

in her

little

black

dress

 

but

some

folks

won't

even

set foot

in her

shadow

 

or they'll

buy her

a drink

then

dance

a cock-

roach

retreat

out the

door

 

others

stick

around

for

awhile

they

say that

she's

a cheap

date

but that's

only

because

they

think of

life as

cheap

 

doesn't

make

too much

difference

to her

she says

 

as her

black

patent

boots

tap out

a pulse

of their 

own

 

and she

sings

to herself:

ashes

ashes

all fall

down

 

considering a different kind of mistress

 

Lady Death

wears

a lover's

mask

and

Lady Death

likes to

flirt

 

says her

lips

long to

touch

mine

 

and

i know

that

i'm not

the

only one

but

i won't

hold that

against

her

 

because

 

she's

never

called

me an

asshole

 

she

never

lies

 

and

she

never

makes

promises

that she

can't keep

 

caveat to a so-called lover

 

when you push

a man away, a man

who's got

nowhere to go

 

do you honestly

believe

that he'll just

shrink

into the carpet

or fade

into the wallpaper?

 

guess again.

 

if the arms

of another woman

aren't waiting

 

the arms

of Lady Death

are always open

 

the dusk

of her eyes

immeasurable

but always

welcoming

 

her smoky

whiskey voice

whispering:

 

come with me, baby.

come with me.

 

BIO: Jack T. Marlowe is a gentleman rogue from Dallas, Texas.  A writer of poetry and fiction, he is also a veteran of the open mic.  His work has appeared in Beat the Dust, Zygote in My Coffee, Underground Voices, decomP, Red Fez and elsewhere.  Jack is also the editor of Gutter Eloquence Magazine (www.guttereloquence.com).