Elsa Lanchester, the Bride of Frankenstein.
hung above my bed next to a crucifix
the former my chosen heartthrob as ten-year-old
peers invested a growing interest in women via
popular culture, crushing hard on Anne Margaret,
Shelly Fabares, Brigitte Bardot or Natilie Wood.
Beauty lurk behind her scars, I recognize her
pain and she’d visit me regularly each time
consciousness returned following grand mal seizures
as my body screeched even louder than Elsa’s gothic
shriek and my essence enveloped her delicate head,
rested content on lightning bolt streak hairline.
I imagine her lips at once icy and inviting,
welcoming recognition as a woman rather than
a creature stitched together for another’s comfort
our dark secrets complement each other’s shame
and confusion, celebrating an enigma comprised
of difference living off energy blind to acceptance.
Sterling Warner’s works appeared in many journals and magazines including RAVEN’S PERCH, POETS ONLINE, and VERSE-VIRTUAL. His collections include EDGES, SERPENT’S TOOTH, FLYTRAPS, CRACKS OF LIGHT, HALCYON DAYS, ABRAXAS, GUNILLA’S GARDEN, SEABOARD MAGIC: POEMS (2026), and MASQUES: FLASH FICTION & SHORT STORIES. Warner currently writes ans hosts open mic readings.
