her interior is exquisitely appointed
but I've come to the conclusion
upon eons of self-delusion
that the solitary life works best
for the constitution
as all about there's prostitution
in one guise or another
so be my sistah
and I'll be your bruther
for us there will no other
till my hour is up
and you're off to your next call
counting your haul as you slink out the door
2.
Decades whiz by
in the flash of an eye
and when I say I took her support stockings off
and wore them over my head
and then went out and robbed the liquor store
I think U know what I mean--
it's the universal language of love
ooby dooby dooby doo
just me and you
Now I just want to slip
into another world
as this one grows chillier
by the moment
any world that I'm welcome to
(I grope for the key beneath the mat
at the foot of the door)
And she said: what is it
you love about life?
And I replied : the way it kicks our asses
and still we keep coming back for more
3.
Now I sit like the Fool On The Hill
on his lofty perch
a man on a stationary bike
could attain a similar altitude
in far less time and trouble
but I preferred the scenic route
And I can see clearly now
all the dead-end roads
I've traveled down
they stretch in all directions
snaking to the horizon...
leading not to Rome
but to Samarra
Oh how I love this poem, especially how life "kicks our asses and still we keep coming back for more." That we do. And it is never enough. Fantastic write, my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sherry. I'm glad you picked out that line.
DeleteYou have such a way with words. I'm always thrilled to read your creative efforts.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, my friend!
DeleteSamarra is a city in Iraq ... Samsara is the wheel of suffering ... anyway ... meouw ... cat.
ReplyDeleteRefers to "Appointment In Samarra" as retold by W. Somerset Maugham
ReplyDeleteMay we all clench our jaws and come back stronger after the kicking.
ReplyDeleteYes--some of us are gluttons for punishment--lol
DeleteThere are a lot of clever lines in this piece. People have already mentioned the ones about life kicking us in the teeth but we keep coming back for more. I also like the wry, but way too accurate observation that there's a lot of prostitution going on around us, whether we call it that or not.
ReplyDeleteAnd the many things that are exchanged besides money!
DeleteWe must always stand back up after being knocked down!
ReplyDeleteYes indeed.
DeleteI liked the imagery and the drive of this. Your line about life kicking our asses and we keep coming back for more is oddly inspiring. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat's kinda what it's all about, eh?
DeleteWell you certainly sparked my interest, i had to do a little research on Samarra
ReplyDeleteHave a nice Tuesday
much love...
I appreciate you following up on that, Gillena!
DeleteThe well-travelled life - it really was all about the journey.
ReplyDeleteYou got it--the scenic route!
DeleteLove the way you have described a life in those vignettes... maybe most of us will not change the world, maybe existence suffices
ReplyDeleteNow you're onto it...smiles
DeleteSamarra - had never heard of it until I watched "Sherlock" the other night! All roads (even Rome) leads to death... its about the journey and those dead ends obviously had to have turn arounds. The fact that you can see all the routes clearly means you are enjoying life elevated a bit now that you are wiser - perhaps?
ReplyDeleteYes, those turn arounds have saved us all, as in this line from my poem American Dream: "turned around so fast you met yourself speeding in the other direction"--now that I'm a "bit" wiser, I've crossed all of those routes off my list :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHI my name is Elliott, and I was wondering if maybe I could make a deal with you. if I add a link on my blog for your blog would you be willing to do the same for mine? if not its ok
ReplyDeleteThanks, but if I do it for one, I have to do it for all, and you know how that goes!
DeleteYour line, "till my hour is up". _m
ReplyDeletethe last fish
watch this pond evaporate
a hawk