poetry saved my life

so i said: popped a pretty pristine piece a paper
in my polyester pocket n pulled out a political poem
said poem – poem
shoulda stood still on the side of your slippery street
spat out some syllables and said poem – poem
let’s lift the lying lids off labels in the ladies’ aisle
let’s call it a little lesson in local linguistics n say
poetry saved my life
like a tank-top jesus in a sidebar feed
nobody told me there’d be poems like these
two-minute rhythm rants
stiletto phrases
many many many many words on stages
recycled compost / slam-day poem lost
backed-up metaphors / built outta big words
poetry saved my life
at your bus-stop jaw-drop / rock-star mic-drop
zine swap coffee shop / strut like a big-shot
knife to a poem fight / shout in the judge-light
and then poetry saved my life
poetry saved my life – are. you. ready – here we go