Mouse Without Tale

It’s been a little over 24 years since Matthew Shepard was murdered. If you don’t recognize that name, there is plenty of information on the web, in addition to a movie about the incident.You can also visit The Matthew Shepard Foundation to lend your support.

This poem was written in response to W3 Prompt #29: Wea’ve Written Weekly on The Skeptic’s Kaddish, so please visit his page to read other responses.

This is a Blitz poem, in case you were wondering about the form.

Before you read on, this one is rather graphic, which is not my normal style. Sometimes I think we must be shocked in order to create awareness, evoke emotion and spur us to action. Last month marked the “anniversary” (I hate using that word to mark such a horrible occurence) of his death, and along with a couple other conversations I had this week, it just got me thinking about the discrimination and violence that is perpetrated toward marginalized groups. That is the place from which I wrote this.

Mouse Without Tale

Quiet in the house
Quiet as a mouse
Mouse on the loose
Mouse has a noose
Noose around the neck
Noose above the deck
Deck him in the eye
Deck him ‘til he cries
Cries but why bother
Cries for his mother
Mother fucker makes me sick
Mother fucker likes the dick
Dick lover
Dick Discovered
Discovered your secret
Discovered Can’t keep it
It’s made you doubt
It's kicked you out
Out Now you’ve lost it
Out of the closet
Closet of lies
Closet can’t hide
Hiding whore
Hiding no more
More sticks and beer
More kicks Queer
Queer as fuck
Queer as a duck
Duck your head
Duck or you’re dead
Dead little girl
Dead to the world
World unknowing
World keeps going
Going without you
Going to doubt you
You’ll go to Hell
You better not tell
Tell your story
Tell and be sorry
Sorry you survived
Sorry you’re alive
Alive but not living
Alive but not giving
Giving details
Giving your tale
Tale about violence
Tale that is silenced
Silenced
Violence

Copyright © 2022 Brandon Ellrich

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Stay safe