Everything is red in the kingdom of the queen. Matador hat with barnacles, witch white hair to the shoulders, tickling the breast. In her eyes are the blood shot of many vampires; in her heart the daggers of many soldiers. Five inky fingers cross her throat like an ill-fitted necklace. Her dress is like heart charms, scales of fish dripping blood toward her toes. Withy, twists around her throat. Anglers of the court toss hooks toward her cherry red lips, capture the moment of the haze of purple surrounding her head. Everything is red in the kingdom of the queen. Death changes colors from red to blue.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery (V2)
Gravediggers uprooting caskets with sharp, steel shovels- each slicing step downward through nerve-rooted earth cooper pennies jingle in change pouches dangling by their sides.
They chat casually of Jesus, His painless resurrection from the sealed tomb, money-changers being chased away from God’s holy temple.
Bio: Michael Lee Johnson lived ten years in Canada during the Vietnam era. Today he is a poet, freelance writer, amateur photographer, and small business owner in Itasca, Illinois. Nominated for 2 Pushcarts awards poetry, 2015, Best of the Net 2016. Mr. Johnson published in more than 940 small press magazines online and in print. His poems have appeared in 33 countries as of this date, he edits, publishes ten different poetry sites. He also has 130 poetry videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/poetrymanusa/videos He is the Editor-in-Chief of 2 poetry anthologies, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze-and Coming in April 2017, Dandelion In A Vase of Roses. He has several books and chapbooks published.