Mephista as Roaring Girl

Lest you think me

a mere mouthpiece

for the author—I’ll get

her banished and become

a B-Movie star: Girl with the

Laughing Eyes, Reno Tramp.

I slurp black pudding

at the altar, implore

the duck to roast

the cook, students

to thrash the teacher.

I walk the second line

with black indians,

rumpus-queen, 

Moll with a megaphone,

I lead the cheers:

            “Devote yourself to beautiful trash!

             Create ceremonies of gladness

             From rituals of sadness!

             The world reverses above us,

             And all the scholars steal!”

Then my gray hair

grows thick; hens hatch

sour apples.  I shrink

to the size of a newborn,

to the radius

of a pea,

disappears!