Poems

for laura

in 1998 when they found

the gay body of matthew shepard
his whole face was bloodied
but for two stripes
perpendicular
where his tears
had flowed
that day the cyclist
who found him did not
call the police right away
because the body of matthew
was so disfigured
that the cyclist thought he’d seen
a scarecrow
 
last saturday in são paulo
a group of men
and two Military Police killed laura
not without first
torturing her laura
was seen still alive
by some guy
who recorded
and posted the youtube video
of a laura disorientated
and who wouldn’t be
blood spewing from the mouth and from the back
of the dress?
 
laura has a body
and a name that belong to her
laura de vermont (presente!)
was murdered
by men
by the state
and by our indifference
aged 18
on a saturday.