Thirteen
and in love
with a new boy
every day on Face Book.
Posters of Justin Bieber
hang in her bedroom
soon to be replaced by the latest teen idol.
She is the hot one
in her crowd
and likes being the
center of attention.
Silver braces line her teeth.
Her bright eyes
one blue
one brown
and long blond shoulder length hair
will make her Dad
pace the living room
in a few more years.
Right now
she’s still into sleepovers
with her chubby
girlfriends
and swimming at the town pool.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Karl 15.10
Karl
is a bear of a man
owns his business.
He is the man to call when
you need heat in the winter
and AC in the summer
He charges more for his time
because he’s good, damn good.
He is a proud man
honest and
has integrity
so long as you pay him.
Competition is fierce
and cash flow
a constant juggle
although he is
pretty good at
balancing work and play.
An agreeable man
he enjoys his imported beer
retired from both the Army and National Guard
he was stationed in Germany
he has siblings there
family means everything to him
since his mom and brothers escaped
from his wife-beater father
and moved in with his step dad.
Food is a comfort
after a hard day of service calls
and since he quit smoking
as it is with Heather
their stout gray cat
who demands breakfast
at six a.m.
scratching
at the bedroom door
her tail swishing to and fro
in cadence with clock
as it chimes at the hour
every hour
Ding, Ding, Ding, Dong
Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong
DONG, DONG.
He is married to Sabine
his soul-mate.
is a bear of a man
owns his business.
He is the man to call when
you need heat in the winter
and AC in the summer
He charges more for his time
because he’s good, damn good.
He is a proud man
honest and
has integrity
so long as you pay him.
Competition is fierce
and cash flow
a constant juggle
although he is
pretty good at
balancing work and play.
An agreeable man
he enjoys his imported beer
retired from both the Army and National Guard
he was stationed in Germany
he has siblings there
family means everything to him
since his mom and brothers escaped
from his wife-beater father
and moved in with his step dad.
Food is a comfort
after a hard day of service calls
and since he quit smoking
as it is with Heather
their stout gray cat
who demands breakfast
at six a.m.
scratching
at the bedroom door
her tail swishing to and fro
in cadence with clock
as it chimes at the hour
every hour
Ding, Ding, Ding, Dong
Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong
DONG, DONG.
He is married to Sabine
his soul-mate.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Crystal 15.9
The oldest
most world wise
writes it all down
She digs out the old
foundation exposing the rotten wood replacing it, careful to maintain the integrity of the structure, a painstaking process, as she crafts and starts to build a new stronger base discovering along the way how the cement was first formed, alert to to how the form needs to be outlined first reading the instructions and then mixing the sand and gravel then slowly adding water building layer upon solid layer smoothing the surface until it is compacted and firm. A sly sally she knows exactly what needs to be shown and what should fall away hidden, the work means everything to her.
The work paves the way.
She is not to be fooled with.
Her short cropped light brown hair
exposes a few gray roots
her penetrating blue eyes
see the cracks.
She is the athlete
tough and tenacious
willing to bend
but only so far
her roots grow deep
and she remembers everything
separating the reality
from the fiction
separating herself
from the characters
within her fragmented past.
The others inside her sleep
and remain silent for now.
most world wise
writes it all down
She digs out the old
foundation exposing the rotten wood replacing it, careful to maintain the integrity of the structure, a painstaking process, as she crafts and starts to build a new stronger base discovering along the way how the cement was first formed, alert to to how the form needs to be outlined first reading the instructions and then mixing the sand and gravel then slowly adding water building layer upon solid layer smoothing the surface until it is compacted and firm. A sly sally she knows exactly what needs to be shown and what should fall away hidden, the work means everything to her.
The work paves the way.
She is not to be fooled with.
Her short cropped light brown hair
exposes a few gray roots
her penetrating blue eyes
see the cracks.
She is the athlete
tough and tenacious
willing to bend
but only so far
her roots grow deep
and she remembers everything
separating the reality
from the fiction
separating herself
from the characters
within her fragmented past.
The others inside her sleep
and remain silent for now.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sabine 15.8
is Playboy material
her blunt cut flaxen hair
parted in the middle
frames an oval face.
Sharp blue eyes
question everything.
She is the queen in her castle
complete with central air
and vacuum
sucking out the waste
transferring it
to face again at a later date
a perpetual motion
defining the orbit of her existence.
A mom to a teenage girl
who looks more like sixteen
she does it all
from house painting to
to riding the tractor and
when she’s done at home
she cuts the lawn
for her mom
risking poison ivy and snakes.
She feels trapped
but resigned to staying
in everyone’s good graces
for another summer
as the thunder builds
and echoes
a warning
of an impending cyclone.
her blunt cut flaxen hair
parted in the middle
frames an oval face.
Sharp blue eyes
question everything.
She is the queen in her castle
complete with central air
and vacuum
sucking out the waste
transferring it
to face again at a later date
a perpetual motion
defining the orbit of her existence.
A mom to a teenage girl
who looks more like sixteen
she does it all
from house painting to
to riding the tractor and
when she’s done at home
she cuts the lawn
for her mom
risking poison ivy and snakes.
She feels trapped
but resigned to staying
in everyone’s good graces
for another summer
as the thunder builds
and echoes
a warning
of an impending cyclone.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Carolla 15.7
is the middle child
a fighter and
an ex smoker
often noticed for
her Dolly Parton-like bosom.
Short and fierce
she breaks through the bull
divides her time
between
FOX NEWS
and QVC
her zealous tongue
encouraged
by her
redneck husband.
She works at the school cafeteria
mostly for the medical
suffers from
allergies and snores
like a lumberjack.
A new grandma
she proudly carries
pictures of the baby
in her wallet
along with
her menopause badge
and a silver revolver
with a pink pearl
handle.
a fighter and
an ex smoker
often noticed for
her Dolly Parton-like bosom.
Short and fierce
she breaks through the bull
divides her time
between
FOX NEWS
and QVC
her zealous tongue
encouraged
by her
redneck husband.
She works at the school cafeteria
mostly for the medical
suffers from
allergies and snores
like a lumberjack.
A new grandma
she proudly carries
pictures of the baby
in her wallet
along with
her menopause badge
and a silver revolver
with a pink pearl
handle.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Gisela 15.6
She doesn't hear them anymore.
Her attention is held captive
by wishful thinking.
Her sparkling blue eyes have turned gray.
Buxom and petite
wearing last years
bargain basement
matching dress and hat
she stubbornly
wait for Godot.
Lost in yesterdays
rotary dial
and rabbit ears
fearful and furious.
He has scolded away
her innocence.
She still works for nickels and dimes
to regain control
convinced
that it really doesn't matter
that she still has to work
that her brothers and sisters
don't write.
Fifty years
ignored away
as fine.
Sometimes she takes things
shiny beads
a ring
briefly
satisfying her hunger
though
more and more
thirsty now
for the fermented white grape
and her arthritic
ankles and fingers
ache from the damp.
Her attention is held captive
by wishful thinking.
Her sparkling blue eyes have turned gray.
Buxom and petite
wearing last years
bargain basement
matching dress and hat
she stubbornly
wait for Godot.
Lost in yesterdays
rotary dial
and rabbit ears
fearful and furious.
He has scolded away
her innocence.
She still works for nickels and dimes
to regain control
convinced
that it really doesn't matter
that she still has to work
that her brothers and sisters
don't write.
Fifty years
ignored away
as fine.
Sometimes she takes things
shiny beads
a ring
briefly
satisfying her hunger
though
more and more
thirsty now
for the fermented white grape
and her arthritic
ankles and fingers
ache from the damp.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Horst-- 15.5
He can’t tell them what he wants
lost inside another vodka fog
sneezing green balls of phlegm
into his palm while
searching for Kleenex.
His hairless
white belly
distended inside a white t-shirt
overlapping beige
shorts, the only pair that he can find,
as he mechanically belches
and squeezes out farts
that would’ve put Hitler to shame
as he starts to sing from another old German opera
unable to resurrect his youth
failing to amuse his
sedated audience.
Happy hour begins at eleven
in his tiny world
and continues
long into the night
every night
as he salutes the setting sun
with cracked deformed nails
constipated and
cursing at his bad luck
and to anyone who will listen
pausing for a moment as
he tries to ingratiate himself
on a practiced widow
down the hall from his room.
lost inside another vodka fog
sneezing green balls of phlegm
into his palm while
searching for Kleenex.
His hairless
white belly
distended inside a white t-shirt
overlapping beige
shorts, the only pair that he can find,
as he mechanically belches
and squeezes out farts
that would’ve put Hitler to shame
as he starts to sing from another old German opera
unable to resurrect his youth
failing to amuse his
sedated audience.
Happy hour begins at eleven
in his tiny world
and continues
long into the night
every night
as he salutes the setting sun
with cracked deformed nails
constipated and
cursing at his bad luck
and to anyone who will listen
pausing for a moment as
he tries to ingratiate himself
on a practiced widow
down the hall from his room.
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