Southern Gothic on Crack

from Kill Starlings by Christian Drake

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lyrics

Southern Gothic On Crack

After Daddy done got done with Bethsheba-Rose, 
Jesus wept and flooded the hog barn 
and we found grampa rowing to shore in the wheelbarra 
singin' Confederate songs, even though  
he was three years dead.   

The day Mama got out of the state pen 
covered with tattoos of lilies-of-the-valley 
and the names of dead soldiers, 
the 'lectric company miraculously decided to turn 
the lights back on.  

This was the summer that corn turned 
to whiskey on the stalk, due to the frost, 
and the possums played dead between 
slices of Sunshine white bread at our feet.  

This was the July of my first woman blood, 
before we weaned Daddy Jr. from the hound dog's tits 
but after the circus elephants trampled 
the rye field and knocked up the tractor.  

The vampires came then, and took to eating the fireflies. 
The district court judge sucked a twelve-gauge 
on account of his youngest runnin' off with the boy 
who sold sunflowers, and everybody cheered.  

Mama hung my stained drawers from the pickup antenna 
and the vampires ran after the truck like pups. 
The gators yawned like welcome mats on the chapel porch 
and the con man's tabernacle collapsed, killing us all.  

We're a proud people. We bury our cannonballs with crosses.  
The chickens scratching at the red dirt will find our bones 
just under the surface, cakewalking with the Devil 
the mayor cast out years ago by law, before he did the thing 
we don't talk about anymore.

credits

from Kill Starlings, released January 26, 2012

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about

Christian Drake Dhaka Division, Bangladesh

Christian Drake is a six-time National Poetry Slam team member and has performed on three National Poetry Slam Finals stages. Originally from New England, he bas been a host of popular slams, poetry shows and burlesques in San Francisco, CA and Albuquerque, NM. He's best known for his often loud, erotic, and political nature poetry. He currently a science teacher in the New England wilderness. ... more