Cheshire

--for Sanford Biggers

Cheshire cat smile
Joker's smile
When you disappear
Every gleaming tooth is
Fugitive
Every lightbulb flashing your word
Every word
We'll ever say
Or write down being the same
Like a language for our disappearance
Reappears again
Queen presiding
Some other powers that be
Chop our
Motherfucking heads off
Climb up a tree
And smile your head off
Until surveillance is
Just a dream
And this mask becomes the costume
It is
Climbing trees that will never be
Just trees
Inverting Brecht's admonishment
Smiling our asses off
This is of course in reference to lynching
Not symbolism
Not the tree of life
Just signifying
All the masks we put on and
What else?
What the smile won't
Trade
Make its property
It overdoes, overcomes
Lips shine a way
Through night
Flashing light fucking with our heads.