Earl Schumacker | + Follow Poet |
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Beyond the Pale

Moms beat their children half to death
For scissoring up their best white sheets 
Cutting out two holes for eyes
Ghosts don't really look like that
Damaged linens is the Outer Limits
Is Addams Family crazy beyond the pale
Whiter than white turned gray

Thank you Thing! 
Give Cousin Itt a comb for all that hair
To see through this vale of tears and darkness
Hand him a brush with death
A hand sandwich with mustard on it

Hand him a knife to cut through clouds
Gray beyond the pale
Beyond white sheets with holes cut in them
Blowing in the wind with ghosts still in them

Copyright © Earl Schumacker | Year Posted 2019

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Jan Allison Date: 5/29/2019 8:36:00 AM clever title Earl, scary poem in so many ways especially that hand sandwich and I especially loved the final stanza its so powerful:-) hugs Jan xx Login to Reply Jan Allison Date: 5/29/2019 12:47:00 PM I thought of Halloween when I read it and remeber seeing the Addams family too:-) hugs Jan xx Earl Schumacker Date: 5/29/2019 11:30:00 AM Hi Jan, I was thinking about you recently. Sorry I have not kept in touch. This poem is more suited to Halloween. The Addams Family was a popular TV show here in the states. I made some references to "Thing" which was one of their pets or part of a dismembered family member. It was a hand that lived in a box. It was a comedy show. Cousin "Itt" was a creature made up of hair. Glad you liked the poem. Take care. Earl