Dancing in the Wake of Young Minds (Part 3)

by Brian Knippers
(a poet/writer currently incarcerated at ncci-gardner)

overly committed at twenty eight
all her envy
all their hate
bottled up
dumped upon her
marvel at their gilded gates
james completes finnegan’s wake
and in that moment lucia’s fate
was sealed
forgotten

disassemble time, she’s twenty nine
flip her quarter ten thousand times
guildenstern screams, “heads!”
rosecrantz declares she’s dead
at sixty seven, her soul has fled
we contemplate who’s to blame
who ended lovely lucia’s claim
to life?

a public’s eye must stay apprised
and printed words are never lies
lucia blinked, her whole world died
left behind and cast aside
convince a world she never tried
convince a world and watch them cry

but…

pain burns bitter cold
under weight of fabrication
piled atop weary bones
she’ll never understand their cruelty
her own mother?
but still, we want to believe
in a home with every advantage
doors slam loudly
no praise lingers amidst slight support
my dearest genius-hermit father
meet your wife
my jealous-uncaring mother
who loves my
indifferent brother dearly

indefatigable as light
lucia flickers into oblivion
she fades into background noise
no longer disrupting father’s grand procession
his progression towards greatness
crystal drinks clink together
cigar smoke clouds his chamber
cheers james!
in all your glory
you’ve done it
again