Last Friday, we had all the grandparents come to visit for Wilder’s second birthday. It was great and also a lot. At some point during it all, I wrote this. Scholars tell me its ‘a poem,’ though idk, I’m no shakespear.
You are a child Your parents clean like if they don't, the house will go up in flames, or it's on fire already, and the only way to put it out is to vacuum. Who cares if its messy!? you scream, while eating a bagel with egg and salami. Why can't these so called friends of yours the mendersons, due any minute, know the truth? Why hide who you really are? You are an adult: Sweating, wet-wiping the Jackson Pollock made of trash inside the cabinet. Have these always been here? You wonder, when ding. Dad Cell: Landed. Your car is washed the oil is changed the gas is pumped wait the seats of the car. Another Jackson Pollock this one, of milk. You're already late, but you stop at Target and you buy seat covers. One for the passenger seat, where your dad will sit. And one for the back seat, for your mom. Why are you doing all this?, your wife asks. If they knew about our mess, you tell your wife, they'd clean it. When you were young and screaming with salami in your teeth, your parents said you'd understand, when you were older Nope. You still have no idea why they did it why you're still doing it, too.
Let’s move on quickly before things get awkward!
aaaaaaaahhhhh
YAMA / MAYA #2 is tomorrow (friday)
Join me tomorrow, Friday April 27, for an epic question-and-answer event I'm calling YAMA/MAYA (You Ask Me Anything, Me Ask You Anything). How’s it work? I’m so glad you asked.
All of my beloved paid subscribers can ask me anything about and by golly gosh darnit hand to heart I will answer them.
BUT it's not that simple - I will reply with an answer, yes, (a really good one, even) but I will also include a question for you. See how that works? It's you and me, my friend, questioning and answering together.
If you’re still confused, check out the first one we did here:
I'll send out the link to the thread Friday morning around 8am PT, so keep an ear to your inbox for the rustling of questions on the wind.
Also, a theme
I want to try having a topic for each month in case it helps people think of stuff to talk about, but you can truly ask anything you want.
This month’s topic will be…FAMILY (and the crowd goes wiiiild).
Comments
do you write poetry?
are there genres of creative work that scare the shit out of you?
who are ur fav poets or whatever?
why did I have to say ‘or whatever’ there like I was a sophomore in high school?
the circle of mess
Years ago after a particularly frantic cleaning frenzy because my college roommate was coming to visit, one of my then-teenaged sons said in frustration, "this house is a lie!"
There's nothing quite like a pre-company or pre-vacation cleaning frenzy. Your poem captured it wonderfully.
Poetry does scare me. I wrote very, very bad poetry when I was in my twenties and once I became aware of how really bad it was, I just couldn't even touch it. Sometimes I read poetry I like but I don't trust my own instincts is this regard. Traumatized by poetry.