Torch Song

Some women

waited for men

to light their cigarettes

for them

but never her—

she, the one who netted

her own desire,

and blatantly committed

a most lovely heresy

by balancing

a small piece of the moon

on her fingertips

until her cigarette

torched

and underscored

the legend of the woman

scorned as a witch

by men

who didn’t know what to make

of unclaimed fire.

#32 from Untitled Film Poems

Image by Cindy Sherman

Unknown's avatar

About John Biscello

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, novelist, poet, performer, playwright and filmmaker, John Biscello, has lived in the high-desert grunge-wonderland of Taos, New Mexico since 2001. He is the author of six novels, Broken Land, a Brooklyn Tale, Raking the Dust, Nocturne Variations, No Man’s Brooklyn, The Last Furies, and No One Dreams in Color; a collection of stories, Freeze Tag, two poetry collections, Arclight and Moonglow on Mercy Street; and a fable, The Jackdaw and the Doll, illustrated by Izumi Yokoyama. He also adapted classic fables, which were paired with the vintage illustrations of artist, Paul Bransom, for the collection: Once Upon a Time, Classic Fables Reimagined. His plays have been staged and performed both nationally and internationally.
This entry was posted in Artwork, Cinema, photography, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Torch Song

  1. Geri's avatar Geri Lawhon says:

    This is really a great poem. Thanks for posting it.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment