Kimberley Johnson

By Brandon Young

Form after Cavafy
Mark III Tap Room, Muncie, Indiana, late 1980s

Oh, don’t worry, we will let           our hair down tonight—
but first we must remember           on this stage, the queen
we lost, who they killed           not too far from here
just up the river. So           then, tell me when was the last
time you hid behind           the legs of mother’s skirt?
I’m the only mother here.           The mother-ship
of unmanicured hands,           of loving what makes us
undesirable. Once           I robbed a man of his
wallet outside the gas station           when I was laid off.
Sometimes I can still smell           his sweat. & tonight
me & my girls put on           a Rosie the Riveter show—
how the factories pivot           eventually & give up
their promise. I’m no huff-off,           I’ve always only had
this raw deal. Now it’s my turn           to tell you—
sheltered behind this skirt,           I will live forever.

Notes:

Kimberley Johnson is the Drag persona of [redacted], who died in 1992. The Mark III Tap Room is the oldest gay bar in Indiana.