Bleach

First Slam Poem Ever

 

Dinner consists of bleach,

Served in a tall, tapered champagne flute

Bleached clean, bleached pure,  

And those white lines like the sidewalk chalk

From when we were five and nine

And didn’t realize that our lives were flying by.

Remember?

We know better now. 

Because sidewalks don’t show you your black-eyed

Eyes like a mirror on your lap does.

But its’ LA, and you’ve got to move fast

Don’t eat, don’t think, and for God’s sake,

Cover those black eyes with black eye shadow

And black eyeliner and long black lashes.

Because when you’re a platinum blonde with bruised eyes

And bright pink plastic glow-in-the-dark lips

And shadows between your ribs like piano keys,

You too can look glamorous in all those photos

That no one takes.

It breaks my heart to see you on the floor,

Just waiting for those men to take that chalk

And give you a white-line-outline.

Like we used to do on that suburban sidewalk,

When we heard that Kurt was dead

And we couldn’t believe it,

Because who can write songs like that when you’ve got bleach in your head?

But never mind.

This isn’t about our idols, our gods, our wishes, our frauds,

It’s about you and me but mostly you through me.

And of course, this harlot, L.A. 

This city is a poison and you think it can make you pure,

Bleach you white, bleach you clean

Make you beautiful the way all that smog

Makes the sunsets the most beautiful shade of red.

But that’s a contradiction in terms, because smog is dirt,

And you crave this bleach so your veins can be clean.

So your mind and your body and

So all your hopes and fears can be

Can be pure-white-clean.

It’s more then just a habit, it’s a mindset,

(Bleach you clean, Bleach you pure)

And you are a poster-child for what this city deems, Angel.

You drink in this city and pretend it tastes like wine.

It’s an acquired taste, you tell me.

You’re burning up from all this bleach in your veins,

Just like the white chalk on the sidewalk

Under the San Bernardino sun,

From when we were five and nine.

 

Reviews

[Gone]

I like it.