The Choker Poem by Sheena Blackhall

Queens of Ancient Egypt wore them,
Chokers around their necks
Signs of protection and power

Mygrandmother's choker was slim black velvet
With a tiny silver brooch across the throb of her throat
A throwback to her early courting days

Companion to her planter uncle's daughter
She had a certain position to upkeep

I wore hers out in my teens
Till it was threadbare,
A relic of my grandmother turned thin

Now chokers are all the rage
Katy Perry, Taylor Swift
The Goths, Victoriana revivalists
Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna
Trans gender men, Jagger & Elvis
Fake royalty of screen and Hollywood stage

Degas' ballerinas wore them well
Chokers…the other end of the spectrum from the garrotte