Sweet Sounds

The b ba baaa backbeat of backup beeps
and the engine rroarrrrs
join the whizz of rubber wheels
and the lingering laughter of lovers
at the intersection

The beep-beep tootelie-toots
of arriving transit buses 
tickles the funny-bone of morning
waking somnambulant walkers
who dot the sidewalk below my perch,
even the slap of skate-boards
and the clinking tweeter od metal shopping carts
makes music…

Each raucous sound rattles
the single-paned windows of clap-board relics
pinging off plaster, vibrating through ancient oak floors
coming home to roost in the mingled fragrance
of brownies and mary jane.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2012

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Richards Avatar
July 13, 2012 at 9:20 PM
How hilarious it is that I wrote my Dragon Tale poem (wearing my Mary Jane shoes)...and you wrote your Potted plant tale wearing your Mary Jane shoes. Neither of us knowning the other had those same shoes in our poems....GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE LOL! And yes...I also believe very strongly in ESP....I seriously think that is an untapped resourse...it happens all the time to me with certain people! (I'm not sure you will take that as a compliment or not LOL!!)
Richards Avatar
July 13, 2012 at 5:19 PM
And yes....recollection takes me back to those ads of Buster Brown with his dog....and trying on both Buster Brown shoes, and Mary Jane shoes ....sticking my little feet in those x-ray machines to see how well they fit!! (Long before they realized the hazards of all those x-rays!!) We thought it was a thrill to see our bony little feet through that peep hole viewer!
Richards Avatar
July 13, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Thanks for the challenge, Deb!! I learned what you probably already knew !! LOL !Mary Jane was a character created by Richard Outcault for his comic strip, Buster Brown, which was first published in 1902. She was the sister of the title character, Buster Brown. In 1904, Outcault traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair and sold licenses to up to 200 companies to use the Buster Brown characters to advertise their products. Among them was the Brown Shoe Company, who later hired actors to tour the country, performing as the Buster Brown characters in theaters and stores. This strategy helped the Brown Shoe Company become the most prominently associated brand with the Buster Brown characters. The style of shoe both Buster Brown and Mary Jane wore came to be known by her name, Mary Jane.
Richards Avatar
July 13, 2012 at 2:33 PM
I feel I am often repeating myself with words to describe your writes....but your poems are never ordinary. That is what I love so much. Which makes me more than honored when you like or choose a poem of mine in your contests. I am always thrilled to have your approval. (THANK YOU!). This poem helps me remember undoing the little silver buckle of my mary jane's, after climbing up the concrete porch steps, and in through the old screen door after a day at school.
Brown Avatar
July 13, 2012 at 6:34 AM
Wow where did this week go? I am reading some amazing poetry this morning. It was a pleasure to read yours and I thank you for sharing it Debbie. Have a great weekend and I will be back Monday to read more. Love, Carol
Ludden Avatar
July 12, 2012 at 3:32 PM
I like the poem. Your onomotapoetic tendencies may be a little much, but you do employ them effectively, I'll have to admit. Watch those mary jane dreams--the republicans will be after you!
Guzzi Avatar
July 12, 2012 at 3:49 PM
I don't think there are republicans in san francisco??? LOL oh maybe they OWN the medical marijuana stores!! I bet!
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace