Billie

Liver shot-
you became
a caricature
of your
 former
begowned
satin-sheathed self.

Swathed in pearls
still,
your life was
bittersweet
as poppy seed,
and though you were treasoned
by lovers,
and others
we,
your fans
we've always loved you-
Billie,
for that gift,
your voice
carries us to a swooning
bliss.

And you sang of "good times"
too,
surely
you knew their
taste
saw more
 than a 
mere
glimpse-
you knew 
that there's
ecstasy
mingled in
with
tragedy
and the heady giddiness
of sweet summertime-
Billie,
I'm saying not everything's the blues.
that life's sometimes
easy living-
sometimes a hard
fall.
And you sang of pennies
from Heaven
like a rain of gold
you knew they can't always fall-
still,
as all good things do come 
from Heaven
the metaphor's
a good one
a bit of optimism
even for the penniless.