I want to write a poem today
but the wood insists on ritual—
Pledge and patience, lemon oil,
a soft cloth circling
what must be remembered.
The coffee table’s judging me.
The hutch has turned authoritarian.
Even the banister
is giving me splintery side-eye,
and the bureau just rolled its drawers.
My muse, naturally,
has curled up in the dust bunny
beneath the credenza,
refusing to come out
until the piano gleams.
So I write this poem as an act
of defiance in the face
of domestic tyranny.
Screw the chores I say,
art matters more anyway.
He’s a little barbaric Joey said, he does not tell me much
He was talking about our new neighbor, name of Dutch
Many said he was a so and so and a such and such
But today he helped me move a dresser and a China hutch
He is vulgar and common, another snippety neighbor said
That will not change my differing opinion of Dutch in my head
He willingly helps me when I ask.
He shares his tools, talents, and his flask.
Glamour dog expected poodles to ask for her autograph very much
But they raced past her, as if they did not see her at all
How had they missed her fancy scarf, her florals and such?
She gave gray hounds a look, but they were so tall
They did not see her, so she groused to her cousin Hutch
Who cares? He asked. You know you are a gorgeous doll.
He is a gentleman, and totally Dutch.
This reassurance urged glamour dog out of the mall.
Peggy had never been a fighter or a scrapper or such
But she got tired of being teased by a bully named Hutch
He called her names, and pulled her pigtails too
This happened many days in a row, possibly twenty-two
Peggy finally had had it; she gave him as good as he got.
Punched him so hard, his nose released a keg full of snot
The other kids watched in horror; they were terrified of him.
He had already beaten-up Dickie, Tommy, Jerry and Jim.
The teacher had never seen a girl stand up to a bully this way.
When Peggy landed on him, she wanted to yell “hooray”.
But instead, she had to send her to the principal’s office to think.
So, you finally took on Hutch the bully, he said, with a wink.
Birthday greetings! Get out of bed.
Go to the river and dunk your head.
Eat crawdad dung, until you are really fed.
Then crank-call your senile Uncle Johnny Fred.
Go skating down the hill on an inner tube.
Call everyone names like bimbo, or boob.
Eat your lunch on top of plate balanced by an ice cube.
Then have your car serviced, it needs a lube.
Have supper at the hutch of the white rabbit if you can.
He has arranged a surprise in the form of a Mariachi band.
Run over to your mothers and fix her a Salisbury steak.
I know that she has for you a lovely birthday cake.
What is her name? Asked Mad Hatter of the Palace.
I think it’s Dorothy. “No, it isn’t, it’s Alice.”
Her frock is quite fetching in that lovely sky blue.
She stands up straight and her pearly teeth are nice too.
Why does she stop and look under bushes and such?
The white rabbit is leading her, right to his hutch.
He is diabolical and magical and has a weird way.
Well, then, we have to try and save her said the timeclock that day.
So, the weirdos and fellows and elves and pedal pusher league
Chased after Alice with the Chesire Cat in the lead.
Alice ignored them, having her own keen mind.
Grateful though, she thanked them for being kind.
Santa’s little granddaughter was named Little Mim
Her adorable personality had an enormous hold on him
She was sassy and fun, and loved him ever so much
He had sixty-five photos of her on his kitchen hutch.
Little Mim’s curly hair was a treat to the reindeer crew.
They wanted to touch it, acted like it was fresh and new.
She loved the elves, and visited them in the work shop.
They watched her twirl, dance, sing, jump, skip and hop.
Little Mim brought such joy to the North Pole.
All of the workers loved her curious soul.
They taught her to make the toys, and wrap them too.
They loved everything about her, she was never blue.
Santa bragged so much about his granddaughter to others.
They rolled their eyes behind his back, and these were his brothers.
Never appreciating anything he did, not understanding him.
They also could not appreciate the adorable Little Mim.
Living in the sunless cold hutch of till death do us apart, sits a chipping soul.
Never had he thought she did be a blotch of many shades.
Spitting and pouring scorn on his dreams of a happy home.
“What? Are you even a man? Your mates are out there...”
Frosty and Rudolph needed some quick cheer
And they went to the local bar for beer
Rudolph's nose went pale white
Frosty soon yelled in fright
As he watched yellow snow below appear
Sigmund the elf on the shelf was mad
He was recently careless and bad
When he jumped down off the hutch
No one seemed to miss him much
Instead, he was soon replaced, so sad
Santa decided to change his suit blue
And thought he now looked all dapper and new
But his reindeer flew right by
With his sleigh now in the sky
They thought he was an imposter, who knew
A hex, a spell, a whispered barb
A curse, a lie, a witches garb
Behold the depth of darkness falls
And closes in on these four walls
The stone is cold beyond the touch
The rats roam freely from the hutch
The stench of vengeance fills the air
A silent footstep on the stair
The scent of overwhelming fear
The sense of danger edging near
The hallowed graves are overhead
It's time to meet the waking dead
HINDSIGHT 20 20
It was Atlanta, and not many years ago
With the world crashing about my ears
Pledges made and encouragement given
Smiles and kisses seemed natural to me
It was only selfishness and a cold heart
That reason would finally tear us apart
Was it just fake and never meant to be
And such little chance of being shriven
The only genuine things left were tears
But it taught me lessons I should know
From then on, I’d be a lion not a lamb
Not letting any hope give way to fear
And resume my once purposeful path
Toward those rewards that can satisfy
Your expectations were way too much
I’d felt like a pet rabbit kept in a hutch
But I never did meekly curl up and die
I was more than a keeper of the hearth
But it’ll not be like that again, my dear
As the script said, I don’t give a damn
Do you recall?
Felix the cat,
Or Taxi and Kojak.
Fantasy Island and
Starsky and Hutch.
Monty Python and
The Brady bunch.
Saturday cartoons and
Mission impossible.
Batman and The Streets
of San Francisco.
Cling and Clang on H R
Puff n stuff.
All in the family and
Eight is enough.
The Osmonds and
Sonny and Cher.
Quickdraw Mc Draw and
Yogi Bear.
Josie and the Pussycats
And the jetsons.
Green acres and
Petticoat junction.
Mel's Diner and
Dick van dyke.
Columbo and
McMillan and wife.
Police woman and
Hawaii 5.0.
Soul Train and
the Cosby show.
Underdog and
Scooby doo.
Dragnet and
Kung fu.
Dr Marcus Welby
M.D.
A radio station named
WKRP.
Chips and
Quincy M.E.
Flip Wilson and
The Partridge family.
Sweat hogs on welcome
Back Kotter.
The Hulk, and the
Courtship of Eddie's father.
The facts of life and
Bob Newhart.
Chico and the man and
Get smart.
Nova and the Rockford
Files.
Dallas and love American
Style.
Turbo1904?
having come of age in the womb of space
there being here no more puzzles to lace
bereft of thought crutch, having gentled touch
our soul takes permission to leave this hutch
that light both immanent and transcendent
may bilocate, becoming independent
The fearful girl was terrified, so they kept her hidden
Inside a grandfather clock constructed by Mr. McGiven
She kept silent, as they traveled, did not make one peep.
A protective raccoon kept his eyes on her when she was asleep.
Skeleton Man watched the road ahead, for intruders and such.
If anyone came to get her, they would have to fight him for her hutch.
The animals were determined to keep the fearful girl safe.
She was in hiding from a truly mean boss whose name was Rafe.
Delivering the candy gumdrops and such
Throwing out chocolate to the rabbit hutch
With the help of the red-eyed Amazon frog
We roll out a caramel and nut covered log.
We are followed up and down the avenue.
I want a pink life saver! One says, how about you?
We are eager to sell our wares and do very well.
In hamster village where the sweet teeth dwell.
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