A Socially Acceptable Breakdown

by Patrick Roche

A Socially Acceptable Breakdown is a poetry collection that explores themes of family, queerness, mental health, grief, pop culture, body image, love, joy, memory, myth, and magic.

Genres: Poetry, Mental Health, Queer, LGBT, Nonfiction

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2021

Reviews

[Darya Silman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleeding human soul, hanging in the open for the public judgment.

Patrick Roches's book 'A Socially Acceptable Breakdown' operates on a personal level, referring to any interlocuter willing to hear. Through the out-of-the-box metaphors and unpredictable comparisons, the author exposes his most terrifying thoughts. Suicidal ideation, depression, dysfunctional relationships, rejection as a queer person; this has been the author's reality since childhood. Music, poetry, and love are the three things that continue to save him against all odds.

The imagination of the author runs wild, unrestricted by the boundaries set by 'normal' poetry. 'Poem in Which Flowers Are Replaced by My Brain' tells the story of the seasonal changes in flowers (brain) along with the changing people's attitudes toward them (it). 'Self-Portrait as Opposum' defies the common motion to see yourself as a warrior, crocodile, or wolverine. The author's key to survival is sleeping for many hours in a row, showing 'the softest resilience.' The poem 'Retcon' rewinds traumatizing events, erasing, changing life in one's mind like these events have never happened.

One of the main themes is controversial family background. While the father figure is distorted and causes distress ('21,' In Which I Meet My Father for the First Time Since His Death'), a mother is the haven of acceptance ('In Which My Mother's Prayers Teach Me about Joy,' 'Siri').

Every poem has an unforgettable footprint of the author's personality. Whenever I see Patrick Roche's poetry, I will instantly recognize his style. Though the lyrics do not follow a strict poetic meter, inner music makes the words sing in hypnotic unison. The best way to read the book is to devour it in one sitting, enjoying - and equally horrified - by its authenticity.

I'd definitely recommend the book to poetry admirers. Topics covered in the book (mental health, gender inequality, etc.) and the author's shining talent are two components that make the book so unique. For me, it's the best poetry release of this year.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

✔️ Deeply personal

✔️ Moving

✔️ Refreshing and poignant

If you like the writing and the poetry style of Amanda Lovelace, Rupi Kaur and Nikita Gill this collection is for you.

The contents covers several personal issues about mental health, relationships, family, self and so much more.

Read one poetry at a time to feel the most what these lines are trying to convey.


Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reader copy.

[dracula · Rating 5 out of 5]

’the sadness is real whether you say it or not.
the sadness is only a hydra if you call it one.
even if you slice one head off and find three more.
there’s a difference between Sisyphus and slow progress.’

I’ve read this poetry collection a while ago, its content is slightly obscured in my head by examinations, but it’s elegant prose still remains etched in my memory. this collection is deeply relatable and lyrically written, exploring themes of mental illness, grief, queerness and *Carly Rae Jepsen*

in a moving manner, the poet conveys his vulnerable side of perpetual sadness and internal conflict, all translating in a complex web of grief. personally, I found the poems intensely alluring, keeping me fixated on their meaning from the beginning till the end.

this collection is very authentic, with its words extracted from deep within the poet’s soul. it is a real portrayal of human mentality, the neglected side incessantly concealed that is brought to light.

I would love to let this masterpiece shimmer with a million stars, but goodreads forbids me from doing so. please read this, it deserves so much more love!

[Fenriz Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Button Poetry for giving me the ARC trough netgalley in exchange of a honest review*

I came across this book by accident in Netgalley; the cover caught my attention and i thought I was on the comic/graphic novels section so I request it, when in reality I was in the lgbt genre, so when I downloaded and opened the book i was surprised to find this was a literary book of poems no less, oops.

Thankfully i'm not averse to poetry, goth teen me liked it very much, but nowadays i don't approach that side of literature on my own, to be honest. However, after reading this collection of poems by Patrick Roche, who opens the most vulnerable parts of his life in a down to earth way so everyone can take a peek at the uncomfortable aspects of dealing with depression, eating disorders, growing up with an alcoholic parent, and the innate fear and self-loath of being painfully queer at a very young age and try in no vain to hide it, and how in the end, you can still have a positive look out of the future that awaits you, I realize there's hidden gems, queer gems, inside poetry that are worth seeking out.

I've read self-reflecting works about people with mental illness before, and while many share the same struggles, the way every single one perceives it is different which makes every read not repetitive. Roche's quirky, modern analogies makes this an entertaining read albeit sobering and too close to home at times.

Great discovery, now i'm curious about his past works.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Button Poetry for providing me an e arc of this poetry collection!
(tw discussion of eating disorders & suicide)///
This poetry collection explores many complex topics mostly living with an eating disorder, finding/accepting your own queer identity and suicide . The concept was beautiful and some of the poems were a level above the rest for example ‘every 40 seconds’. However I did think some of the poems were very clunky and hard to read as well as this the poems were very literal. This may be what some people look for in their poetry but for me it did not leave much for me to think about because it was all stated on the page, this made it hard for me to make an emotional connection to the poems. Some of the poems although literal were still very beautiful and worked very well. I would recommend that anyone who is interested in reading this book should look up a list of trigger warnings. I gave this book 3 stars.

[Noah]

This collection of poetry deals with mental illness/health and queerness and I absolutely adored the way these topics and especially the darker aspects of them are discussed. Even though many poems are heavy, emotional and I‘d definitely recommend caution if you‘re sensitive to explicit depiction of experiences with depression etc., the collection still left me with a sense of hope. I‘ll definitely re-read this one!

Content Notes: anxiety, addiction, depression, death, eating disorder, grief, suicide, queermisia

[Philip Kenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A knockout book of vulnerable, lyrical, frank poems. Patrick Roche holds his brain up to the light, and we have the privilege of watching the glittering reflections. It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, it’s nerdy, it’s gay as hell. What more could you want from a book of poems?

“Self-Portrait as Piranha Plant,” “21,” “Ode to Vitamin D,” “Ode to Streetlights,” and “Poem to Be Read Forward and Backward” were my favorites. Roche is both a polyglot of darkness and a herald of joy.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

I absolutely adored this poetry book. Ever since I ‘discovered’ slam poetry, Patrick Roche has been one of my favourites and I love listening to him. This book was no different. He just has a way with words that you can relate to so heavily and I adore how he is able to put emotions and feelings into words and make it so relatable.

The only reason this didn’t get the 5* from me, is because I feel like the written word doesn’t have quite the same effect as if it were spoken word, and I think had I of listened to this in audio it would have been an easy 5* read. So I definitely recommend finding the audiobook, and also checking out Patrick’s other work with Button Poetry on Youtube.

[Dessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely deep and personal poetry collection. Patrick Roche's writing style is incredibly complex, immersive and breath-taking. The depth and the dynamic of the poems are truly fascinating. Although the title sets a very dark mood, the poetry collection is not entirely focused on the tragedy of life. The numerous pop-culture make it very easy to connect with. A lot of wordplay and poetic innovation make Roche's poem unique and ingenious. The dedications made reading this poetry collection feel more like an experience through a poet's life. The lack of sugar-coating and romanticisation cause the content of this book to feel much more raw and realistic, heart-breaking even. While the poems tend to be somewhat heavy, I do not think this is a drawback, because that ensures that all the feelings the author intended to implement in his works, have actually reached the reader. The trigger warnings include death, eating disorders, trauma, depression, homophobia, alcoholism, grief, medication, suicide and suicidal thoughts, figuring out your sexuality and embracing it, self-harm, etc. "A Socially Acceptable Breakdown" is written in a very brave way, gives a lot of food for thought and reaches the places of the soul we try our best to hide. An absolute must-read for poetry lovers.

[des · Rating 3 out of 5]

The publisher and netgalley kindly provided me with an e-arc..

Tw for eating disorder, alcohol addiction, homophobia

There were some beautiful heart wrenching poems about queerness and about family and I was really impressed by the authors voice. However some poems were not something I could connect with so that"s why I ended up giving it three stars. As always three stars is not bad I really did enjoy it

[Tash Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of poetry felt very personal and honest, like I was reading straight from Roche’s diary, and touched on a wide variety of subject matter from alcoholism, homophobia, eating disorders, and mental health. I really enjoyed how varied the topics were and it really added to the personal feeling I got from reading this. The collection felt more about him than about a topic or idea and I really liked that.

My favourite poems were the ones where there were two poems side by side that could be read separately or as one, allowing for three distinct readings. This was an idea I wish was explored more and was the highlight of this collection for me.

Sadly, there were only a handful of poems that I really liked and that really touched me. Some of the poems felt quite dull and uninteresting and didn’t resonate with me as much as I expect from poetry. But that could be the very personal style it was written in, where the author called back to very specific things in his life such as singers. Personally, I prefer to few more connected to the writing and I didn’t feel very connected to a lot of the poems in this book. However, I can completely understand how this collection of poetry could really resonate with others and I would still highly recommend it to others.

[Corey Lee Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick's poem, Icarus has stuck with me since reading this collection. A brilliant description of what it is like to live with, battle, and overcome a fear of something that may be pre-determined. I highly recommend this.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Roche speaks his truth in this poetry collection about eating disorders, chronic depression, dysfunctional family, and being queer in a non-queer environment.

[pizza boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

so beautiful and very touching. My favorite was every 40 seconds, wow!!

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware of section III ❤️‍🩹

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this little book of poetry has put me through the emotional wringer but also left me just in awe. These are searing and beautiful poems.
Content warnings for this book: depression, alcoholism, eating disorders, homophobia (experienced and internalized), parental death and absence, panic attacks.
As a person who has panic attacks, I found the poem about panic attacks far too relatable .... I actually started to experience some of the physiological signs of an impending panic attack as I read it and had to stop and do my calming exercies. It's some powerful stuff.
I honestly don't know if I can "recommend" this book to others, but if you feel resourced and able to engage with hard things, these are hard things shared in a beautiful way.

[Kid Ferrous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow…I feel eviscerated.

Poet and Carly Rae Jepsen fan Patrick Roche has crafted a stunning collection of visceral poetry that explores themes of love & loss, eating disorders, depression, mental health and suicidal thoughts (so trigger warnings for all) with a verbal dexterity that is often breathtaking. Roche relates his childhood as the boy who “only got a clock stuck on midnight” with an alcoholic father, in a life touched by tragedy.
In the clever “Retcon”, he compares the practice of “retconning” (when comics and TV show writers change details in previous storylines to fit in with new ones) to being able to change traumatic events in his own life-“and I think what a luxury it would be to erase or reset
at the stroke of a pen”. That resonates so much with me, not least because of the cultural reference.
Prepare to go through the emotional wringer in poems such as the heartfelt (and heartbreaking) “Self-Portrait as Piranha Plant” or “Suburbs in July”, a poignant reminder of the things we deliberately don’t or are unable to say even to those closest to us. “Gravity” explores the twisted logic of an eating disorder whilst several poems wrestle with depression.
I could quote forever - “My father drank himself into a funeral” from “Icarus”; “I start doing homework at Starbucks/I have more meaningful conversations with the barista than with my family” from “21”, a stunning entry told in a reverse countdown; “It’s so easy to tell someone you “forgot” to eat breakfast/If you word it the right way” from “Hocus Pocus”, which begins as a tribute to the movie of the same name but becomes something darker and will resonate with readers with eating disorders. Oh wow, here’s another line from it -“What is more witchcraft than the way this/body keeps moving forward/even when I put nothing into it”.
Oh god, here’s another awesome couple of lines - “So my phone grows heavier and heavier, heavy with/an albatross of words, heavy with apologies I should be/offering…” from “Ode to My Unread Messages”.
Things get progressively tougher in the third part. “Instructions on Having the Perfect Panic Attack” is exactly that and should be approached with caution, whilst “Every 40 Seconds” refers to the official statistics of how many people commit suicide each year, and it is about suicide, and oh boy, it’s a tough one, especially if you’ve been touched by suicide, but it ends on a hopeful note - “Hundreds of thousands of people are dying in silence/because of silence/but this is saying/we can keep each other breathing”. This is the best poem about suicide I have ever read. The final poem “Open Letter to the Author”, in which Roche addresses himself, ends the collection positively - “There’s a difference between you and yesterday./One still exists.”
Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking and brutally honest, “A Socially Acceptable Breakdown” shows Patrick Roche can do things with the alphabet that will turn you inside out.

[Dionne C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Button Poetry for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I very much enjoyed A Socially Acceptable Breakdown (by Patrick Roche)— fresh imagery and well-crafted expressions yet open and vulnerable on the page regardless. As the title states, this collection focuses on exploring queerness, mental health, eating disorders so it can be difficult emotionally to read at times but I appreciated that it isn’t handled lightly.
My favourite poems would have to be Suburbs in July, December 27th, My Birthday/ Canonization/ My Brain Plays a Game of Telephone/ 21/ Poems in Which Flowers Are Replaced By My Brain.
A Socially Acceptable Breakdown is a poetry collection I will return to time and time again to read.

[Giada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I made the resolution to read more poetry, because in the end I love poetry, and in this period of time specifically I find myself represented more and more in poetry than in novels and so on.
I started with Some things I still can't tell you by Misha Collins which left me open and raw, and then this book came along and... I'm even more open and raw, if that could be possible.
A socially acceptable brakdown by Patrick Roche is sincere, incisive like a punch in the gut, it is real.
Many of us, particularly in this pandemic world, are currently struggling with their life. It being at a physical or psychological level, we are indeed struggling. A lot.
This book explores that struggle in many ways, but I recommend it particularly if your mental health is not at its peak and you feel like nobody can hear you or comprehend you and you are fighting with yourself and you own mind everyday.

[Jack Jmack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't really explore these themes so much as whine them rather un-interestingly.

[B.S. Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a longtime fan of Roches slam poetry, in fact most of the artists featured by Button Poetry have always been brilliant, so I had very high expectations picking up this collection and I was not disappointed.

A Socially Acceptable Breakdown is a journey through humanity - through our minds in it's darkest and most joyous places. Dealing with themes like mental illness, queerness, body image, families, loss, and even magic, each individual poem reached out and felt like it was addressing the reader directly in the most heartfelt and personal way.

The style was fluid and evolving throughout - this is not the type of poetry that is uniform and structured. From classic stanzas and short stories, jumping to harsh, disjointed and abrupt and then to almost dreamlike in places, each poem felt completely seperate from the others but still fit together perfectly.

Scattered with joyful references to pop culture; x-men, hocus pocus, Divine, and of course Carly Rae Jepsen - and full of other mentions of myth and magic that make you feel some level of familiarity with the words and appeal to the inner nerd in all of us. Full of witty wordplay and wickedly clever concepts, this is a refreshing and magical take on a difficult subject, one that manages to focus on the joy of recovery, the hope of a future, rather than trying to romanticise and stigmatize suffering people.

Some of my favourites were Icarus - an evocative, emotional short poem of couplets, 21 - a listed poem with a striking visual style and Self-Portrait as an Opossum which resonated somewhere deep in my tired soul. The most memorable may be 40 Seconds, a brutally honest, raw piece about the frequency and urgency of suicide in modern times - this was haunting beautiful, poignant and will be one I revisit often.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A superb collection of free verse poetry, thematically centered on queerness, dealing with mental illness, religion, family, & hope for the future. Such great word pictures & analogies. This book resonated a lot with me.

[What I liked:]

•A few poems are written in side-by-side columns, where each column can be read by itself, or you can read line by line across both columns to get three separate, yet linked, readings. I really liked this format! Very creative & well executed.

•The content is varied, personal, vulnerable, pushes the boundaries of language & social acceptability, & voices things I’ve felt but haven’t been able to put into words. I can personally relate to the descriptions of depression, anorexia, facing homophobia, & struggling to untangle messy family relationships. The collection doesn’t get repetitive, it’s not hampered by cliché, & it’s refreshingly bold.

•The writing is quite good. The cadences, the words, the imagery; the seamless weaving together of despair & hope, of rejection & acceptance, of feeling failure pressing in & rising up in resilience. They are poems I plan to return to again.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•A few of the poems are in a format like “phrase/phrase/phrase”, with no spaces or paragraph breaks. Not trying to condemn the artistic/stylistic choices, but it was very difficult for me to read.

CW: substance abuse, mental illness (depression, anxiety, eating disorders), suicide, abusive family dynamics, homophobia

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an amazing piece of work. The author's descriptions of mental health - the okay, the bad and how he fights it is touching and immediately recognizable. I have experienced many of the same mental health that the author describes in this book and to see what he writes and to read it and recognized it in my experiences is truly incredible. There are specific discussions of the poems below if you would prefer not to read until after publishing.

The way that Patrick Roche uses pop culture in his poetry to create and expand upon a theme is a style that I have not seen previously used in this way. Like in the poem, "Retcon", where he takes the Phoenix from X-men comics and other comic characters and uses them to make the reader understand what he is saying.

"Siri" is another poem that can be heartbreakingly familiar to the reader familiar with depression, feeling isolated and unsure of your family. Probably one of; if not the most tear-inducing poems of the book.

A few of the poems that really spoke to me are: "My Brain Plays a Game of Telephone", "Fairy Tale", , "Siri", "Sonnet for Free Wi-Fi", "Instructions on Having the Perfect Panic Attack", "Self-Portrait as Opossum".

The final poem in the book is titled "Every 40 Seconds" and is a poem that is both personal and global looking at suicide and as the reader learns - "Every 40 Seconds" a person dies from suicide.

The book is just under a hundred pages which means that I devoured in less than a day. I truly recommend this book.

I received this book free from NetGalley and the Independent Book Publishers Association to read and review. This is my unbiased review.

Five out of five stars

[vitoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: Suicide discussions and mentions, eating disorders.
Thank you Netgalley and Button poetry for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This past year I've acquired a fondness for poetry, 'A Socially Acceptable Breakdown' is one of the best works I've read since then.
Some of the experiences Patrick writes about in his poems are similar to my very own. I think that's one of the things that connect me even more to the book.
Reading Roche's words is like talking to an old friend, knowing all of their most secret thoughts and loves and fears. The author makes you comfortable in the very first pages, makes you committed to discovering more and more about what he wants to say. Then he talks about mental health and eating disorders in a way you feel a rollercoaster of feelings you can't even name. At the same time, you can't even imagine what and how much he felt when he wrote that.
There were some moments the reading became tiring, but I don't think that's the author's fault. I just wasn't really in the mood for reading at that moment.
My personal favorite is named Commit. It even made me tear up a bit, to be honest. So, to finish this review here's my favorite quote from the book:
"I commit to myself and I am committing to myself and I am committing to myself. I commit the holy crime of myself, and if I am guilty, I am guilty of only whatever things I can be
proud of. Like myself."

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

-A Socially Acceptable Breakdown- by: Patrick Roche

I wanted to thank Goodread giveaways and Button Poetry for a copy of A Socially Acceptable Breakdown. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Poetry, Mental Health, LGBTQ+

Warning that there is mention of death, mental illness, eating disorders, etc. Keep that in mind before reading.

Synopsis: “A Socially Acceptable Breakdown is a poetry collection that explores themes of family, queerness, mental health, grief, pop culture, body image, love, joy, memory, myth, and magic.”

Review: This collection of poetry shows a vulnerable yet relatable side of Patrick Roche on topics such as his eating disorder, an alcoholic parent, and then losing that parent. He also speaks about his depression and anxiety and what it feels like to him. I also want to point out how amazing Patrick Roche’s writing style is and the way he conveys his feelings to the reader, as if we are experiencing it right there next to him.
I just want to say how deeply personal this poetry is and how much of an honor it is to read it. I remember when I was younger lying in bed watching Slam Poetry on Youtube for hours on end. Being able to read and have a physical copy of poems I saw performed through a video is something I am very grateful for.

Rating: 5 Stars

[Gicely · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5⭐: wow! This book is so good, like I really jelled with a lot of the poetry in this collection. These poems discuss queerness and mental illness (especially depression) with such grace without trying to sugarcoat the realities of struggling in those departments. The book did deal with the topic of suicide so if that is triggering, then you might want to make note before picking up this collection. However, I thought that the topics were dealt with elegance and the word play was astounding.

I really enjoyed all the references to "classic" especially the fairy tales, comics, and the greek myths. There was a moment that I was reading where the description hit me and bam I could see the cover art in my head. I thought the poetry was raw without being emotionally draining if that makes sense. My personal favorite poems were "fairy tale" and "retcon" so look out for those. I would highly recommend reading the poems out loud as the sound work hits the spot and brings it to the next level. Honestly, the only reason this book is not a five is just down to personal preference, this book is otherwise simply spectacular.

----My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.----

[Demi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A lot of people know Patrick Roche. He’s incredibly successful and reading this collection it’s not at all surprising to see why.

Every 40 Seconds is a verrrry famous spoken word poem, but it has never lost its impact for me so I was excited to read these others. And I really enjoyed them.

And that feels weird to say, because the title clearly indicates the kind of topics that all of the poems surround (TW for eating disorders, self harm, addiction, homophobia, grief, domestic violence, suicidal ideation and panic attacks—this one is pretty visceral, the poem is literally called “Instructions on Having the Perfect Panic Attack”… and is fantastic), but I’ve never seen poetry quite like this, spoken word or otherwise. Albeit it’s a very different experience reading them to listening to him perform them on Youtube (something I immediately did upon finishing).

I thought they’d be difficult to take in, but I didn’t feel sad, just surprisingly understood. I had to stop multiple times to reread and reread, thinking constantly how clever so much of it was. A gem, and so many of the poems will stay with me, just like 40 Seconds has, I’m sure—“Fairy Tale” and “Couples Therapy” especially.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review

"A Socially Acceptable Breakdown" parts the curtain to expose the raw parts of mental health and eating disorders. Roche creates honest and open dialogue about how hard fighting your own mind can be. He speaks on how it affects/affected his family life, his love life, and his self image.

I appreciate that Roche did not romanticize his struggles and instead romanticized the fight to get better. The act of healing and fighting was a theme that shone through the hardship like light peeks through curtains. These poems, while speaking on hard experiences, instill a sense of hope and self-worth that we all need nowadays.

My favorite poems are "Suburbs In July" and "Couples Therapy".

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, imaginative, impactful and deeply personal, this beautifully presented collection of poems focuses on the effects on mental health from a range of issues, including sexuality, body image, eating disorders, alcoholism and grief, resonating with struggles we may have faced and opening a window deep into the stigma and shame surrounding anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Skilfully crafted but inherently raw, the collection resembles an autobiography, and the poems span a variety of inventive styles, including some that can be read both forwards and backwards, and some that can be read separately or merged together, creating three different versions.

Emotional and thought-provoking, not an easy read in terms of subject matter, but definitely worth the effort.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I've been thinking of the queer-coded villains. And the queer-
blooded victims. And the queer artists flocked by
people hoping for magic and makeovers, as long as
you don't get to be too much--too much queer, too much
witch, too much visible, too much laughing
in the middle of the ocean and bending the waters
around your abdomen and conducting the surf to a club beat

Some part of me must have known
and ran from that theater, wanting to keep that moment perfect--
the fairy-est happy ending: a smile painted
across her face in a drug store lip stain
Some part of me must have predicted it or had already seen
it so many times before--
how queer never lasts on screen
how it dies and the room cheers

But not that day"