Tuesday, February 17, 2009

papa's got a brand new bag

for a small family, two rooms
is best, you eat the bacon,she shakes
the breast, one of who lied in past
embrace (the other just confessed)

interlude: family of four, maybe
five, divorce proceedings unassembled,
unaccounted for- vacation on the
beach, (what's one more?)

keeping up with the leisure set
ate up the cash in kitty, your
fat faced child strangled the thing,
discipline him (for god's sake have pity)

around town is best, most impressed
with the laughter of small people and
hand holding of the older two, a sense
of justification, (the accolades accrue)

what's best in modern living quarters,
a room for every brat, shiny techno
hand holding, a beauty pageantry- this
family will compete (the! gadgetry!)

winners, winners: still fuck Friday
nights, call it love, the bills are paid,
the children Have Things in hand
and (baby threw up a credit card grenade)

settling for eighty hour work weeks,
face of a hag, i concede your family
owns the most and your papa's
got a brand new bag.

-maggie may ethridge
shrink on the couch said...

and what good's a new bag? and things in hand? love your poetry.

this wheel's on fire said...

wow i really love your blog! esp. love the obama post below...i love them as a couple! too sweet :D

Anonymous said...

What a great poem. Some dark areas, some funny parts too,"baby threw up a credit card grenade"! love it. You're so talented.. poetry is a definite art and you've nailed it!

Ms. Moon said...

You inspire me to let the poems in my heart see light.

Vashti said...

You make me smile!

bernthis said...

Isn't it amazing. for the billionth time, how you do it is amazing? I agree, that people with so much stuff presume they are happy.

a mouthy irish woman? ridiculous! said...

you have inspired me and i have started giving the poet in me voice again. thank you for that.

would you step over to my house for a minute? i have some questions for you....

Sunday's Pearl said...

Rock it out, Maggie May!

Lola said...

"Baby threw up a credit card grenade" is my favorite part, too.

Simplicity said...

I love reading poetry like this. It snaps my brain out of it's rhyming box and makes me think a little bit more abstract. You're so talented!

Unknown said...

This is one of my faves.

Anonymous said...

You're fabulous. I read this so many times.. *sigh*

Erin said...

this is beautiful

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