Mouse Without Tale

Image from wikipedia

It’s been a little over 24 years since Matthew Shepard was murdered. If you don’t recognize that name, there is plenty of information on the web, in addition to a movie about the incident.You can also visit The Matthew Shepard Foundation to lend your support.

This poem was written in response to W3 Prompt #29: Wea’ve Written Weekly on The Skeptic’s Kaddish, so please visit his page to read other responses.

This is a Blitz poem, in case you were wondering about the form.

Before you read on, this one is rather graphic, which is not my normal style. Sometimes I think we must be shocked in order to create awareness, evoke emotion and spur us to action. Last month marked the “anniversary” (I hate using that word to mark such a horrible occurence) of his death, and along with a couple other conversations I had this week, it just got me thinking about the discrimination and violence that is perpetrated toward marginalized groups. That is the place from which I wrote this.

Mouse Without TaleQuiet as a mouseQuiet in the houseMouse on the looseMouse has a nooseNoose around the neckNoose above the deckDeck him in the eyeDeck him ‘til he criesCries but why botherCries for his motherMother fucker makes me sickMother fucker likes the dickDick loverDick DiscoveredDiscovered your secretDiscovered Can’t keep itIt’s outYou’re outOut Now you’ve lost itOut of the closetCloset of liesCloset can’t hideHiding whoreHiding no moreMore sticks and beerMore kicks QueerQueer as fuckQueer as a duckDuck your headDuck or you’re deadDead little girlDead to the worldWorld unknowingWorld keeps goingGoing without youGoing to doubt youYou’ll go to HellBetter not tellTell your storyTell and be sorrySorry you survivedSorry you’re aliveAlive but not livingAlive but not givingGiving detailsGiving your taleTale about violenceTale that is silencedSilencedViolenceCopyright © 2022 Brandon Ellrich

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Stay safe