Even our most beloved gods & idols can reveal themselves to be mere all-too-human mortals– like in “A Fan Girl Meets David Bowie,” Sarah Lilius‘ powerful poem from our Spring 2016 issue.

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CIGARETTE BUTTS IN A CRYSTAL ASHTRAY, opulence
with stink, curtains catch the smoke.
I see him watch me, wonder when I’d dance
but it’s not the 1980’s and my hair’s in place.
I think of the Labyrinth, a place to lose
myself, in my youth those tight pants
were everything, I dreamt of men
with makeup, men who sing
me to sleep, who laugh in different hats.

He never closes the door, doesn’t smile
as much as I thought he would.
His accent is faded a bit from the city
but still a Brit, I ask him about the Queen.
He looks out a clean window, flicks ash
to the floor and waits for the maid
to vacuum it up.

My dead fantasy is a sealed deal
when Iman walks in, tells me
it’s time to go.

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SARAH LILIUS lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and two sons. She’s been published in various journals, both print and online, such as Tinderbox, The Denver Quarterly, Stirring, Red Savina Review, Hermeneutic Chaos, and Melancholy Hyperbole. She’s the author of What Becomes Within (ELJ Publications, 2014). Check out her website at sarahlilius.com.