Tammy Faye

drawing by P. Kennelly

 Mascara stroked tears roil
Alabaster Madonna statues
In miniature

Her head bowed
Clasped hands
Requiring
Support

Choir boy eyes reflected
In the light
Of the stacked candles
Recalling
The flickering televised halo

And the millions
Waiting with faith
For a sign of God

Eyelids dropping into the fog below
Going back to a time
Of electronic hope
Unscorched by radiation




First Lady
Jackie-O
Carved from the trailer
Molded on spiked heels
Framed with dryer blown red

4-11 on top of 3.5
Trapped in the pixel ooze
Of an electronic church

And resistance
A giggling curdling cry
Mocked and suffered abandon
Oversubscribed

A Florida motel-room
One night secretary
$265,000 pounds of flesh
Later caved the record of "lifetime"
And took hold of conspiracy –

Fraud
Grand indictments
Overindulged

The lodging of her partnership
Begat the ooze of kitsch
And emaciation
A Prescription for defense

As prone to giggle as cry
To pay the toll of salvation
Pass the loot towards redemption
Defend the Lord and insist
The praise
Of a small world

After all
Ministries, theme parks – each a teardrop
Of the frozen camera's white hot light
A strobbing dependency
Disneyland in deterrence
Stroking acres of heritage decimated