A Witch’s Promise To My Christian Cousin
you’ve inherited some money
& married well
two or three times
a true Capricorn
you have scrambled your way
to the top of the garbage heap
you tell anyone
who will listen
that you are favored by God
you owe it all to a man named Jesus
dying on a cross
for your sins
taking all your calls
like a switchboard operator
like our maternal grandmother
and great-grandmother
running C & F Answering Service
out of a brown trailer house
when you were an annoying chubby kid
always wanting the biggest slice of cake
and now you have cast your noble eye
in my direction
deemed me definitely not worthy
I’m the filthy pig too ignorant to appreciate
your precious pearls
a peasant
in mud
a witch in borrowed rags
shuffling cards
lighting candles
in San Antonio
as gravity does its work
here’s my promise to you
in your black and white and always right
moral majority mind
you may take it as a curse
regardless
know this
the wheel of fortune
does not
play favorites
we all
get our turn
today’s gloat
will be tomorrow’s wail
heaven or hell
we all get a taste
of the fire
the same tired angels
sing over
us all
carry on
splash your Disney vacations
across those hallowed
global audience pages
get extra butter on your popcorn
be naughty and have
that second glass
of champagne
today you and your children
are safe
on the whitest beach
but a hurricane
is coming
and hurricanes are much too hungry
to discriminate
“A Witch’s Promise To My Christian Cousin” is included in Misti’s book of poetry Super Cherry Extra, available now at https://www.amazon.com/Super-Cherry-Extra-Misti-Rainwater-Lites/dp/1257867202
Misti Rainwater-Lites shuffles tarot cards to keep the lights on and scribbles lines and makes sick beats to maintain a semblance of sanity while melting from triple digit heat and menopause in San Antonio, Texas. She does it all for the nookie so you can take that cookie and shove it up your ass.
