Krista FRANKLIN
Pariah
Hypnotized by the aura of stage lights,
the staccato heartbeat of drums
that emanated from speakers,
I craved a dingy roadhouse,
the bar entrances off alleyways.
I used to sneak off
late nights, my body
swallowed in navy
hoodies and baggy jeans,
dreadlocks tied in knots.
Wine cooler in hand,
I'd stand a second from
whirlpool of mosh pit,
instruments clashing,
like the thrashing bodies
of those white boys,
feedback shrieking
herself to desolation.
On those nights,
a skeleton key turned
inside me,
singularity's bony fingers
wrapped around my throat.