Salome

by Carole Mertz


Flimsily draped
Sassy
All-too-ready

To follow
Mother’s
Greedy footsteps

Messenger
Of God
Soon beheaded

(John neither ate
Nor drank)
His head offered

While Salome
Danced
And danced and danced

Knife in hand
Platter
Dripping holy blood


* * * * *

"Salome" is part of Carole Mertz's forthcoming poetry collection Color and Line (Kelsay Books, November 2020).

Carole Mertz, poet, reviewer, and essayist, is the author of Toward a Peeping Sunrise (at Prolific Press) and the forthcoming Color and Line (with Kelsay Books). She is book review editor at Dreamers Creative Writing and served as judge (in formal poetry) for the 2020 Poets & Patrons of IL contest. Carole resides in Parma, OH.