Bruised Jazz

A cage of your own making
jumbled maddening sounds
dancing up a storm of anger

Inaccessible to the ones you love
banging and blaming 
yourself against every single wall

Tear-stained mascara tracks
dripping on 
your cheeks, neck, breasts

Tearing at the wallpaper
no hidden text of hope
nor any buried treasure

A victim's marks blotch 
your arms, back, and face

You know it was not your fault,
yet you blame 
and blame and blame yourself.

A mess of limbs, hair and wild eyes
you look to the ceiling, the record 
stops and the rain begins to fall

You let all the shit go.

The Dinner Party

The dinner party begins
by the shadows of amber candlelight.

Dinner is served to the
sound of a flirty swing and jazz band.

Mad and wild vibes flow
as their manners and decorum vanish.

The band plays wild jazz
as the dinner table begins to vibrate.

The guests and hosts lose
control as the glass starts breaking.

Everyone dances wildly to
the end of everything as the house
collapses around them.