I was only 14 then
Obsessed with all things heavy
call it pica
a taste for metal

But as it happens to us all
the tongue desires a new taste
and venture I did
for her

I'd seen her once before
and my image was that of some queen
sight upon her once again
I did not feel the same
at best she was plain

But something black like tar
from deep with in her screamed
something primal
made her stomp
her hair was flying
her eyes were set
pain she let go, but she was not crying

she moaned
she roared
and it felt just like a ball and chain
she sang away every affliction
every pain
mine and hers
and I loved her
from that moment
I really did love her

She was like a sister
But more of a mentor
she taught me how to feel
she showed me about the blues
she knew my hurt
if things were different
we might be friends

i don't know what it is
but sometimes I feel she is the closet thing I ever had to a friend
we grew up near smokestacks
lord did we feel trapped
we we felt,we thought, we were different
yet she and me so the same

she knew about my acne
she felt my loneliness
she hated her body
just as I did mine
we were losers
we were not compromising ourselves

she was janis joplin
she wore rags and drank whiskey like some vagabond queen
her skin was white
but her soul was black
her voice was blues
she was a woman among men
she died too soon
her music saved me
perhaps from a similar doom
i'd like to thank her
she's the best friend
I never met