caped nuns
tried to teach
me how to swim,
but the second my toes
touched their
demented holy water,
my airway collapsed.
bible verses
chanted as fire
was set to water.
you stand by the sidelines,
humming the song of
condolences and middle-class poverty.
out of tune,
pitchy,
but just as beautiful
as janis joplin.
you've created your
own scale,
your own decaying
piano keys,
crumbling under
the touch of my heavy
fingers and heart.